Twin-terrors Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen were on song as the Super Eagles of Nigeria returned to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 spanking of Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Matchday 1 of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in Uyo on Saturday.
At the first blast of Egyptian referee Amin Mohamed Omar’s whistle, the Eagles had not won a qualifying match in seven games. And despite endeavour and some promising moves, they failed to rouse the near-capacity crowd until the tail end of the first period.
Deep into added time in the first half, Ballon d’Or nominee and Europa League final hat-trickster, Ademola Lookman took matters entirely into his own hands.
Latching onto a floated ball that a defender misread, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations showman beat three defenders on the trot and gently placed the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou for Nigeria’s first goal.
Before then, Germany-based forward Victor Boniface had fluffed a number of opportunities, including when one-on-one with Dandjinou after a shot by Samuel Chukwueze was blocked by Cedric Hountondji. In the 14th minute, Lookman came close off a pass from the lively Chukwueze, and 12 minutes later, Chukwueze saw his promising lift from a free-kick tipped over the bar.
In the second half, Boniface wasted another glorious chance as the ubiquitous Bruno Onyemaechi sent a cross into the box, and in the 53rd minute, Lookman himself failed to beat Dandjinou from a one-on-one situation as Nigeria counter-attacked.
In the 66th, Nwabali made a glorious double save from the boots of Cheetahs’ captain Steve Mounie, and 13 minutes later, Nigeria went 2-0 up when substitute Victor Osimhen lashed in a half volley from a pass by Wilfred Ndidi.
With nine minutes to go, Osimhen missed with only the keeper to beat as Nigeria again broke forward. Still, Lookman made it a handsome win when his glancing header off a cross by substitute Moses Simon flew past Dandjinou and into the top corner, with seven minutes left.
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The win catapults the Super Eagles to the top of the table, with Rwanda and Libya having battled to a 1-1 draw in Tripoli on Wednesday. Next up for the Eagles is a clash with Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali on Tuesday afternoon, while Benin Republic will host Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in Abidjan.
