Super Eagles player ratings: Iheanacho MOTM; Iwobi steps up; Ndidi trojan; Okoye shutout; Ekong solid

Published: September 03, 2021

The Super Eagles kicked off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Liberia at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Friday evening.

Here's who stood out for Gernot Rohr's side :

The Starters

Goalkeeper

Maduka Okoye : The Eagles first choice keeper was not overly tested but in the 71st minute he clawed the ball away for a corner kick following a smart save from a free kick in the first half. 6.5/10.

Defenders

Ola Aina : The Torino right back was put under immense pressure in the first half from Terrence Tisdell but he had a better second half as he supported the attack down the right channel. 7/10.

Jamilu Collins : The left back was found out of position sometimes albeit he also improved in the second half of the game. 5/10.

William Troost-Ekong : The captain of the Eagles led from the back and diagonal balls created goal scoring opportunities. Had one moment of poor defending when he and his central defensive partner were in their sixes and sevens which Marcus Macauley almost profited from. 7/10.

Leon Balogun : The Glasgow Rangers defender was good at bringing the ball out of the back line as the team built up play. Aerially he was astute but he had some communication relapse with Ekong in the second half. 6/10.

Midfielders

Wilfred Ndidi : The Leicester City defensive midfielder was a trojan in the middle of the pack with his break up plays. He also supported Ola Aina at right back when the Fulham defender was found wanting early on the game. 8/10.

Joe Aribo: Often found as the deep lying playmaker for the Eagles when the team pass out from the back. He made a few eyecatching passes that created chances for his attacking teammates. 6/10.

Alex Iwobi : The Everton forward was the creative spark for the team as he created numerous goal scoring chances for his teammates even went forward to try his best to score. Assisted Iheanacho's second goal. 8/10

Attackers

Moses Simon : The forward was a menace for his markers as darted to the left and right wings at will. His crosses created all sorts of problems for the Liberians. 7.5/10

Victor Osimhen : Not his best of games for the Eagles. Missed several scoring chances. 5/10

Kelechi Iheanacho : Named man-of-the-match. Scored Nigeria's two goals in the game and threatened to add more. Excellent game by the Leicester man. He however missed a chance to grab a hat trick in the second half when a header from an Ola Aina cross went horribly wide. 9/10.

The Substitutes

Paul Onuachu : His first touch after replacing Osimhen, a pass meant for Wilfred Ndidi was a poor one but subsequently he did well with his hold up and link up play. 4/10

Ahmed Musa : The regular skipper of the team came off the bench but had few touches. 4/10.

Shehu Abdullahi : Had just a cameo appearances but his two no-nonsense clearances were heart-warming. 5/10.

Samuel Kalu : Was lively after coming off the bench to replace Simon. 6/10

Oghenakaro Etebo : Introduced in the 90th minute. Did not get much time to assert himself in the midfield. N/A

Izuchukwu Okosi

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