Nigeria U23 Player Ratings Vs Zambia : Ozornwafor Solid; Awoniyi Lively; Okechukwu Leads; Nwakali Impressive

Published: November 12, 2019

Nigeria's Olympic Eagles bounced back from their false start in the 2019 U-23 AFCON campaign with a crucial win over Zambia in Cairo on Tuesday evening.

Allnigeriasoccer.com's Emmanuel Chinaza brings readers the report cards of the players in action :

The Starters

Goalkeeper

Adamu Abubakar: Kept his composure in between the sticks and wasn't really at fault for the Zambia goal. Made some routine saves too. (7/10)

Defenders

Valentine Ozonwafor: Was a rock in defence. Solidly nullified Mwepu and Daka but for the goal they combined to score. One of the next games he has had in the green. (8/10)

Anthony Izuchukwu: An eventful showing in the rear. Defended doggedly and will relish games such like this. (7/10)

Seth Sincere: Always looking to attack and went on some rampaging runs. Particularly eye-catching on the break but also did his defensive duties with less fuss. (7/10)

Bitok Stephen: Assured display after starting on the wrong foot. Kept passes simple and was an unfazed presence as the game wore on. Picked up an early booking for his troubles. (7/10)

Midfielders

Azubuike Okechukwu: Led by example. Tucked in perfectly in between the lines of attack and defence, and was even seen prancing upfront with the ball a couple of times. Struck a couple of long range efforts too. (8/10)

Kelechi Nwakali: The former Arsenal midfielder showed glimpses of his quality, which the Zambians could not keep up with. His trickery was evident as he won and curled in a superb goal for Nigeria's second of the night. Impressive. (8.5/10)

Ndifreke Udo: Would have been on the score sheet but some his wayward shooting. Was adept at combining with his teammates and it showed when he teed up Awoniyi for his goal. (6.5/10)

Attackers

Ibrahim Sunusi: Always a willing runner in the channels and his fast break led to Okonkwo's goal. Was full of tricks and his crosses were always well placed. (7/10)

Taiwo Awoniyi: Was a force to reckon with upfront and would have made the headlines if things had gone his way tonight. The Liverpool-owned striker went close to scoring on a number of occasions but was always thwarted by Banda. Got his goal in the closing stages, however, with a clinical finish. (8/10)

Orji Okonkwo: One of the most creative players on the pitch. Combined with Awoniyi and his teammates a number of occasions and was a delight to behold. Thrashed home his team's equaliser in the first half but unfortunately came off after picking an injury. (7.5/10)

The Substitutes

Sunday Faleye: Had a few moments after replacing Okonkwo but was not afforded much space to exploit. (6/10)

Adam Aliyu: Saw a goal-bound effort blocked off after coming on and looked every bit the part. Saw little channels to work on as the Zambians retreated. (6/10)

Emmanuel Chinaza