The Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions played out a dour scoreless draw on Tuesday in the second leg clash of their international friendly games at the Stadion Wiener Neustadt
Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr stuck with pretty much the same team that lost 1-0 to the Cameroonians last Friday and watched as his side managed a draw against their eternal rivals.
Galatasaray’s Valentine Ozornwafor earned his full debut for the Eagles in the absence of the injured William Troost-Ekong. But goalkeeper Maduka Okoye continued in goal despite Rohr stating that Apoel shot-stopper Francis Uzoho would be in goal.
Despite boasting a healthy mix of experienced and newbie strikers, the Super Eagles failed to find the net in the two clashes in Austria.
Soccernet.ng’s Imhons Erons run the rule on how the Eagles rated on an uneventful evening.
GK: Maduka Okoye – The Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper didn’t pick the ball from his net in this second leg, all thanks to his defence that came to his rescue when he made a terrible mistake in the second half. 4/10
RB: Shehu Abdullahi – The Cyprus-based fullback showed yet again why he is rated behind the likes of Tyronne Ebuehi and Ola Aina in that right-back role. Cameroon’s attackers found freedom and space down his area all afternoon. 3/10
LB: Jamilu Collins – A surprise name on the team sheet after being ruled out of the game due to injury.
The Paderborn left-back showed more defensively and attacking-wise than many of his fit teammates. 5/10
CB: Valentine Ozornwafor – Ozornwafor did not have the best of campaigns at Galatasaray, where he featured just once all season.
But kudos to the former youth international for providing a solid defensive base for the Eagles against the Lions. 6.5/10
CB: Chidozie Awaziem – Awaziem stepped up in the absence of William Troost-Ekong and delivered an impressive performance at centre-back beside his green-horn defensive partner, Ozornwafor. 6.5
DM: Wilfred Ndidi – Ndidi, one of the most valuable midfielders in the Premier League, hardly ever has a poor game for club and country.
And while this was not a masterclass, the Leicester man did enough to help his defence keep a vital clean sheet. 6/10
CM: Alex Iwobi – Iwobi could not stamp his authority on the game the way he would have liked as the Everton playmaker found it hard to cope with Cameroon’s physicality and constant press.
The former Gunner did his bit, but several unforced errors robbed him of the chance to influence the outcome. 5/10
AM: Kelechi Iheanacho – Given the freedom to roam across the final third, Iheanacho would feel he could have done better to help Nigeria avenge last week’s defeat.
While the English FA Cup winner didn’t trouble the opposing defenders enough, his best moment arrived when he set up Moffi, but the substitute wasted the opportunity. 6/10
FW: Moses Simon – Typically a hard worker and grafter, the Nantes winger was nowhere near his industrious and dynamic best.
Possibly an after-effect of a gruelling campaign in the Ligue 1 for his French side. 5.5/10
FW: Ahmed Musa – Another subdued performance from the captain as he moves closer to equalling the record of the most capped Super Eagles player in history.
Musa’s in-game intelligence has improved, but he’s gotten a bit slower, and it’s inconceivable to see him make many more starting elevens before saying his goodbyes to the national team. 5/10
FW: Paul Onuachu – The Genk man possibly left his scoring boot back in Belgium, as he failed to find the back of the net for the second game running after scoring loads of goals that earned him the Ebony Shoe recently.
There were not many crosses from his wingers for him to work on, though, before he was hauled off after the break.
Up next for the Super Eagles is a face-off with the Mexican national team on July 4 in the United States.
This post was last modified on August 12, 2021 10:02 pm