Nigeria relied on a late goal from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to claim all three points against Libya at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Thanks to the win, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have now collected seven points in their first three matches of AFCON2025 qualifying. However, they nearly made a mess of it and will be thankful for coming away with the win.
Here are 5 takeaways from the game.
Eguavoen’s switch to 4-3-3
The Super Eagles’ usual 3-4-3 formation was replaced by a 4-3-3 setup, but the change failed to yield the desired results.
Deploying Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka together in defensive midfield proved redundant, stifling Nigeria’s creativity in attack.
Boniface fails to deliver again
Once again, Victor Boniface failed to deliver for Nigeria, despite scoring week-in-week-out for Bayer Leverkusen.
With Osimhen out injured, the 24-year-old led the line for the Super Eagles and failed to register a single shot on target.
Ademola Lookman’s goal was legitimate
Nigeria had the ball in the back of the net in the 83rd minute but the Malawian referee ruled it off for offside.
Lookman exchanged passes with Chukwueze and, on the return pass, the Atalanta man slotted the ball past the Libyan goalkeeper.
However, replays showed Lookman was not offside and the ref got the call wrong. In the absence of VAR, however, the error could not be corrected.
Dele-Bashiru earns Okocha comparisons
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru proved to be the Super Eagles’ hero once again, scoring an 86th-minute winner against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights. Donning the iconic number 10 jersey, the 23-year-old substitute delivered in clutch fashion, reminiscent of the legendary Jay Jay Okocha.
This marks Dele-Bashiru’s second crucial goal for Nigeria. His previous strike secured a vital point in the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa.
Alex Iwobi needs to do more
For all his flair, fancy hair, and versatility on the pitch, Iwobi offers very little for the Super Eagles in the final third.
The Fulham star has only managed two assists in his last 32 games for Nigeria and had several chances to improve that tally against Libya.
He must improve to keep his guaranteed starting shirt in the coming months.
