The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed a convincing 4-0 victory over the Cheetahs of Benin at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday.
Victor Osimhen scored his first hattrick in two years, while Frank Onyeka butted in with the last goal.
Although the win was not enough to guarantee the Super Eagles a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it gave them hope － they qualified for the World Cup playoffs.
In this article, SportPremi.com highlights four key points from the game between Nigeria and Benin
“Jagun Jagun” Victor Osimhen Is Inevitable
Before the game on Tuesday, Victor Osimhen was the object of criticism from Nigerian football fans on social media. They felt he was not doing enough, and even nicknamed him “jagun jagun” a character from a Nollywood movie.
However, the Galatasaray marksman proved his worth and shut his critics up with a hattrick. It was the perfect response from a player of his quality and status.
Aside from his goal, Osimhen had a great game, he had a fine understanding with Akor Adams at the front, and was very vocal.
The 2023 Serie A Capocannoniere now has 29 goals for the Super Eagles. Perhaps, if he was available in all of Nigeria’s games, they would have sealed qualification.
Assistant Samuel Chukwueze Gives Eric Chelle Something To Think About
Samuel Chukwueze’s last start for the Super Eagles was during the Unity Cup in June.
He looked really good in that competition, but he has always had to play from the bench since then, as Eric Chelle put his trust in Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman.
Fortunately, Lookman got suspended in the last game agains Lesotho after getting carded for the second time in the series. That forced Chelle to use Chukwueze against South Africa.
The Fulham star turned up with the goods eventually, as he supplied the two assists for Osimhen’s first two goals.
It was almost like they were rolling back their years with the youth cadres for Nigeria.
Lookman has not been convincing in recent months, and it is not surprising, as he has not played up to 400 minutes of football in the last five months. Chelle now has to decide on which two will start among Chukwueze, Simon, and Lookman in the future games.
Nwabali Is Still Undisputed, But He Has To Improve
In Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Lesotho last week, Nwabali dropped two clangers that could have been costly, but the team survived.
Following that performance, there were calls from some fans for him to be benched. However, Chelle kept faith with the Chippa United shot-stopper and it was repaid, as Nwabali was solid in goal against Benin.
Still, he has to work on his attitude. He almost got into another confrontation today, but he was stopped by Wilfred Ndidi, who looked really unhappy with him.
Also, Nwabali has to start releasing the ball quickly. He tends to hold onto the ball for too long, even when his team needs goals. If he doesn’t work on himself, his reign as Super Eagles number one might not last.
Benjamin Fredrick Is A Gem
Benjamin played as a make-shift right back in Ola Aina’s absence again, and he was really good.
He was solid defensively, and his forward runs were good, but his decisions in the final third were questionable at times.
Nonetheless, Fredrick has looked really good in a Super Eagles shirt. Even though he played out of position, he was good. The kid definitely has a bright future ahead.
