Iwobi shines, Moffi scores but Nigeria record third loss under Peseiro

The Super Eagles looked to get one over the desert foxes in Oran, but their wings were clipped once again

Lorient striker Terem Moffi scored the first goal for Nigeria, but it was not enough for them, as Algeria proved their dominance again, coming from behind to clinch a 2-1 victory.

Algeria welcomed Nigeria in Oran in an international friendly. Both teams failed to qualify for the World Cup, but the fixture would count a lot considering the rivalry between both teams in recent times.

After playing out a 2-2 draw against a second-string Algerian side last Friday, Nigeria had a point to prove against their host, especially as Algeria beat them in the semifinals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The night started well for Nigeria, as they controlled the game and bossed the possession.

They got a reward for their hard work just nine minutes into the game. In-form Lorient hitman Moffi latched onto a ball in the Algerian box and fired the ball past a helpless Zeghba to make it 1-0.

 

Iwobi was great in midfield controlling the game and dishing out passes, and Nigeria looked like they were going to see out the lead into halftime.

Unfortunately, a moment of madness saw Onyeka commit a foul in the box. Manchester City man Riyad Mahrez was on hand to dispatch the resulting penalty to make it 1-1 before the break.

Both teams began the second half with a lot of intensity. But they had to wait for the 61st minute to witness a goal, and it turned out to be worth the wait.

Algeria defender Youcef Atal gave the North Americans the lead in the 61st minute. He pounced on a pass and produced a rocket of a shot from over 25 yards that sent Francis Uzoho helplessly sprawling on the floor.

Nigeria looked quite disjointed after conceding, they lacked zest and bite in attack.

Coach Peseiro tried to tweak up things for the Super Eagles to restore parity, introducing Godwin Saviour, Awoniyi, Dessers, and Onyedika. However, the substitutions failed to pay off.

The Desert Foxes saw out their lead to ensure a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in Oran.

The result means Nigeria are winless in five games against Algeria. Also, Nigeria failed to win both their games in this international friendly.

For Peseiro, it is a dreadful record, as he has lost three of his six games as Nigeria’s coach.