Nigeria 2 Sierra Leone 1 : Iwobi, Osimhen strike as three-time African champions grind out win

Three-time African champions Nigeria began its quest to reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire with a narrow 2-1 win against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Thursday evening  in Group A's game of the qualification stages reports allnigeriasoccer.com.

Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen scored for the Eagles which secured head coach José Peseiro his first win in charge of the team.

Sierra Leone broke the duck in the 11th minute as Jonathan Morsay got to the end of a Musa Kamara cross but Everton forward Alex Iwobi restored parity five minutes later as he guided the ball to the bottom right corner after an assist from Moses Simon.

The guests were handful for the three-time African champions especially as they attacked from the right side of defence manned by Ola Aina.

However the Eagles got the needed second goal with Osimhen finishing off a move started by Ola Aina whose cross was headed onto the path of the Napoli striker by Simon four mnutes before halftime.

Simon himself went close to scoring before the break but the Sierra Leone keeper saved before he could strike.

Jose Peseiro made a raft of changes in the second half with Oghenekaro Etebo, Ademola Lookman, Kenneth Omeruo and Abduallhi Shehu coming off the bench to replace Umar Sadiq, Samuel Chukwueze, William Troost-Ekong and Ola Aina respectively.

The captain's armband was handed to Omeruo after the Leganes defender came on for William Troost-Ekong, who couldn't continue after he sustained an injury.

Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze missed a gilt-edged chance, while Osimhen, Aribo and Lookman also came close to scoring an elusive third goal for the hosts in the second half.

Osimhen had to go out in place of Terem Moffi in the closing minutes.

The Super eagles head to Agadir, Morocco for their matchday two encounter against the 'The Falcons and True Parrots' of São Tomé and Príncipe on Monday evening.
   

Izuchukwu Michael

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