Nigeria’s Under-20 team, the Flying Eagles sealed their spot at the Under-20 World Cup later this year after a tough 1-0 victory over the Hippos of Uganda in the quarterfinals of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
An own goal from Ugandan midfielder Ibrahim Juma ensured that Nigeria progressed to the semifinal.
Soccernet rates the performance of the lads that did the job for Nigeria on the night.
Chijioke Aniagboso 8/10: It was yet another great game for Nigeria’s shot-stopper. He needed to be at his best on the night, and he was. Aniagboso made five saves for the Flying Eagles to ensure they got the win.
Solomon Agbalaka 7.5/10: Agbalaka had another solid game. Arguably one of the best players on the pitch. He helped keep the Ugandans in check. He was caught napping a few times. But overall, he gave a good account of himself.
Abel Ogwuche 8.1/10: Ogwuche put in a superb shift for the injured Daniel Bameyi. He was solid at the heart of the defense.
Benjamin Frederick 7.4/10: Frederick had a good game. In the absence of Bameyi, he was the marshall, and he did his job well. He made a few timely blocks that saved Nigeria’s blushes.
Augustine Njoku 7.1/10: Njoku was caught off-guard a few times in the first half. But he had a better second half. He was dribbled past a few times. But overall, he had a good game.
Aminu Mohammed 7/10: Mohammed had a very good game in the middle of the park. A trademark of coach Ladan Bosso’s team has been their work rate. And Mohammed’s hustle in midfield can never be emphasized. He also put in a good shift in defense.
Onuche Ogbelu 7/10: Ogbelu put in another solid show in midfield again today. His passes were on point and he helped out with defensive duties.
Samson Lawal 7.1/10: Lawal had a good game. His impact was not felt in attack, but his work rate was superb.
Rilwanu Sarki 6.9/10: Sarki had a decent game. His runs and dribbles were tight, but they hardly yielded good results.
Francis Ayuba 6.5/10: While the job of a striker may not entirely be to score goals, Ayuba could do better. He missed a few chances that he could have put away. Nonetheless, he was full of running and put a lot of pressure on Ugandan defenders.
Ibrahim Muhammad 6.9/10: He had a decent game. However, he did not penetrate much. But he often fell back to help with defensive duties.
