Ademola Lookman came up trumps for Nigeria at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Ivory Coast as the Super Eagles swept Angola aside to proceed to the AFCON 2023 semi-final.
A weighted low ball into the box from Moses Simon made all the difference as Ademola Lookman sent the shot down the middle of the goal, leaving the opposition goalkeeper no chance.
Super Eagles celebrating after Lookman’s opener.
Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Nigerian players as they sealed qualification to the semi-finals of the AFCON 2023 tournament.
1. Christian Nwabali 7/10: The Chippa United goalkeeper’s fitness was in doubt going into today’s game, but his performance on the pitch wasn’t deterred by that. He made a stunning near post save in the early minutes of the game, before saving another curler from Zito Luvumbo late in the game. His passing was astute and he didn’t put a foot wrong.
Stanley Nwabali in action for Nigeria against Angola
2. Ola Aina 7.1/10: The Nottingham Forest full-back gathered 75 touches and completed 35 of his 40 passes. He won most of his duels and was more involved defensively against Angola. He also helped the wingers, Lookman and Moses Simon with width on the attack.
Ola Aina making a forward run with the ball.
3. William Troost Ekong 7/10: The PAOK central defender put up another decent performance at the back, showcasing his leadership and experience. He won all of the tackles he was involved in and made a total of seven clearances.
4. Semi Ajayi 6.7/10: The West Bromwich Albion defender put in a decent shift, although he looked shaky a few times. His aerial presence was evident as he helped the Super Eagles defenders to clear the ball away from danger in the air.
5. Calvin Bassey 7/10: Bassey was bullish at the back. The Fulham man was a no-nonsense defender and sent whatever the opposition threw at him back.
6. Zaidu Sanusi 6.3/10: The Porto full-back was solid defensively, but his attacking output was very poor. If he had been more accurate with his crossing, Nigeria could have scored more goals.
7. Frank Onyeka 7/10: The Brentford man continued his brilliant display of football at the AFCON 2023 tournament, making the opposition midfield feel his presence. He aided the attack by creating two chances and won all of the tackles he went into. The tank!
8. Alex Iwobi 7.1/10: This evening’s game was Iwobi’s best game since the tournament started. The first goal started with him in the middle of it, playing a brilliant through ball to Moses Simon who tapped it home for Ademola Lookman. He played 80 minutes of football, making 17 passes into the opposition’s box.
Alex Iwobi in action for the Super Eagles.
9. Ademola Lookman 8/10: The Atalanta man was the most fouled player on the pitch. His many runs made it tough for the opposition defence to handle him. His positional awareness played a vital part in the only goal of the game as he was left unmarked and his finish was lethal. He has now scored three goals in the tournament.
Lookman after scoring the opener against Angola
10. Moses Simon 7.2/10: The Nantes winger is another Super Eagles player that put in an improved performance. His dribbles were key to opening the Angolan defence and he completed the most dribbles on the pitch tonight. He also created the only goal of the game.
11. Victor Osimhen 7/10: The Napoli striker was a brilliant again with his hold up play and had a goal ruled out for offside. He did seem jaded as time went on and was replaced by Paul Onuachu in the dying moments of the game.
Substitutes
Yussuf Alhassan 5.5/10: The Antwerp midfielder replaced Iwobi in the final ten minutes of the game and struggled to catch up with the pace of the game.
Francis Uzoho, Kenneth Omeruo, Paul Onuachu, Joe-Ayodele Aribo: They all came on in the dying minutes of the game and had little impact.
