Nigeria Begins AFCON winless... The Beat continues

Midfield Engine Alhassan Yusuf.... dominant and 110% effort player

Abidjan....Nigeria began its AFCON play with yet another tie and has now won just one game in its last six appearances. Nigeria will likely make it into the knockout stages of this competition on the basis that three teams can qualify from a group of four teams. However, this team is tottering on a disaster and disappointment. Today, they battled to a 1-1 against a less talented Equatorial Guinea team that Nigeria should have put away if only Nigeria converted a catalog of opportunities. The opportunities were not mere half chances. Instead, there were two of them where the goalkeeper was at the mercy of a Nigerian attacker. The first came after 54 minutes when Sanusi found himself wide open in front of goal only to miss badly.  and the rebound was hit to the skies by Lookman. Then Osimhen was sent through with no defender in sight but the striker saw his attempted wide right beyond the goalkeeper in the 75th minute.

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Nigeria will likely make it into the knockout stages of this competition on the basis that three teams can qualify from a group of four teams. However, this team is tottering on a disaster and disappointment. 

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Nigeria had begun the game on the ascendancy with new boy Alhassan Yusuf giving maximum effort. The type of effort that is so rare among Nigerian players in recent times. Yusuf was feisty, winning several tackles and constituting a nuisance to the unsettled Equatoguineans. Yusuf was head and shoulder above the rest of his team mates on the day. That he was taken off late on account of  injury was  unfortunate. If he fails to return to this competition, Nigerian chances surely will pare down by much. He was so dominant and so exemplary that no other Nigerian could measure up.

The Equatoguineans had gone ahead after a spate of pressure as they worked the ball around on their left6side until an unsighted short was hit from 14 yards out giving the goalkeeper no chance to react. But Nigeria responded immediately. Less than a minute after, Lookman lifted a high ball deep into the opponent's box and all Osimhen did was head the ball into the net to restore parity.

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Yusuf was head and shoulder above the rest of his team mates on the day. . . . If he fails to return to this competition . . . .chances surely will pare down by much.

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The second half was largely even under the inhumane Ivorein heat that forced mid-half water breaks. Nigeria did not stamp its authority on this gamer until the last 10 minutes of the half and the added time.  In this bid, Nigeria almost nicked it with a flurry of very late opportunities before the official called off the game.

TEAM

Stanley Nwabili (23) 6.0 -- Ola Aina (2) 6.0 (82nd , William Ekong (cpt-5) 6.1, Semi Ajayi (6) 6.0, Zaidu Sanusi (3) 6.1 (82nd Bassey (21)x) -- Alhassan Yusuf (4) 8.0* (67th Joseph Aribo (10) 6.2), Frank Onyeka (8) 6.1 -- Ademola Lookman 18) 6.3, Alex Iwobi (17)  6.2, Moses Simon (15) 6.2  -- Victor Osimhen (9) 6.4.

Cautions -- Sanusi (65th)