Nigeria’s Flying Eagles of Nigeria suffered a 2-0 defeat to Brazil in their third game of the Under-20 World at the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata.
Ladan Bosso’s lads started the tournament well, winning their first two games against the Dominican Republic and Italy. However, Brazil proved to be the better side in their final group game.
Nonetheless, they will qualify for the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Flying Eagles players.
Chijioke Aniagboso 6.4/10: It was Aniagboso’s worst game at the tournament so far. He made three saves, in the game, but he did not inspire much confidence as he looked shaky and unsure at times.
Abel Ogwuche 6.5/10: He had a decent performance. He had two interceptions and five clearances, and he looked confident whenever he was called to action. However, he was caught off-guard a few times when the Brazilians came calling. His miscommunication with Bameyi made it easier for Brazil to score their second goal.
Augustine Njoku 6.6/10: Njoku replaced Frederick in the starting lineup. He started the game well, but he tailed off midway into the second half. He made some timely tackles when the Brazilians came calling, but he could have been better.
Daniel Bameyi 6.3/10: The 17-year-old defender had seven clearances and two tackles, but he could have done better. His disconnect with Bameyi played a role in Brazil’s second goal. He also looked shaky when the South Americans went on counter-attacks.
Solomon Agbalaka 5.9/10: Agbalaka was very adventurous as usual, but that cost the team because it opened Nigeria up to a lot of counters. He had four tackles, but he was dribbled past three times. He also failed to make an impact in the final third.
Victor Eletu 6.4/10: The 18-year-old midfielder had 17 passes before he was taken off in the 58th minute. He lost the ball seven times, and his decision-making was faulty at times.
Daniel Daga 6.3/10: Daga had a good start. But he failed to exert his dominance midway into the first half when Brazil started growing into the game. He got carded early in the game, putting himself in a difficult situation.
Samson Lawal 6.3/10: Lawal had a good opening 15 minutes, but he did not offer much after that. His decision-making was bad on most occasions, and he did not connect well with the three attackers in the final third.
Salem Fargo 6.1/10: Salem Fargo did not have a good day in the office. He did not get too many chances, but the few he got, he failed to utilize. He had a very good chance in the first half, but his shot looked like a pass to the keeper.
Sunday Jude 6.4/10: Jude had a very good start, creating some good chances, but as the game wore on, he struggled to conjure solid attacks. His decision-making was occasionally bad as he lost possession 11 times. Nonetheless, he had four goal attempts.
Umeh Emmanuel 6.4/10: Emmanuel looked sharp on the night. He created two very good chances at the start of the game, but that was pretty much the highlight of his outing.
Rilwanu Sarki 6.5/10: Sarki was subbed on in the 58th minute. He looked very lively and almost scored, but the Brazilian goalkeeper was on hand to save his side. However, his decision-making was poor on some occasions.
