Nigeria’s Flying Eagles defeated hosts Argentina 2-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Under-20 World Cup.
Ladan Bosso’s lads were unimpressive when they fell to a 2-0 loss to Brazil in their final group game last time out. However, they bounced back with a superb performance against the South Americans to seal their place in the quarterfinals where they will face Ecuador or South Korea.
Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Flying Eagles players.
Chijioke Aniagboso 7.5/10: Aniagboso put up a way better performance than he did last time out. He looked very assured in goal, he dominated in aerial situations and had a good connection with the defense. Aniagboso also made five saves to keep Nigeria in the game.
Abel Ogwuche 7.5/10: Ogwuche turned up big once again. He was very solid and sturdy. His focus was top-notch, and he had great chemistry with his partner Benjamin Frederick. He had nine clearances and two blocked shots.
Benjamin Frederick 7.6/10: Benjamin returned to the defense, replacing Njoku, and his impact was felt. He looked assuring and was strong in duels. Frederick had ten clearances and two successful tackles.
Daniel Bameyi 7/10: Bameyi returned to his full-back position in the fixture, and he had a good showing, albeit there were a few questionable situations. He was dribbled past five times, but he had three tackles and six clearances. He was also adventurous, occasionally bumping forward to support the attack.
Solomon Agbalaka 7.1/10: Agbalaka was very adventurous as usual. But he went about his business smarter than he did in the last game as he was more wary of the Argentine attacks. He made some questionable decisions when he had possession, but it was a solid performance overall
Daniel Daga 7.6/10: Daga was very solid in the midfield and had a great game. The youngster chased down every ball and even though he made a few rash decisions, he managed to avoid getting carded. He made four tackles in the game.
Samson Lawal 7.2/10: Lawal worked his socks off on the night. His ball retention was quite questionable on a few occasions, but he had some very good calls. He made five tackles and has three interceptions.
Tochukwu Nadi 6.9/10: Nadi had a good game. His ball usage was good, but he did not put in the extra shift defensively. He had 51 touches and two touches.
Salem Fargo 6.5/10: Salem Fargo could have done better. He did not get much service in attack because his positioning was not good enough. He did not record any attempt on goal despite getting 57 minutes of action.
Sunday Jude 6.9/10: Jude had a good game, but his decision-making was poor on many occasions. He registered one attempt on goal.
Ibrahim Muhammad 7.7/10: Muhammad was the livewire in Nigeria’s attack. He scored the first goal for Nigeria. Muhammad also had three attempts on goal, three successful dribbles, and four tackles. He made a few bad decisions and had a 50 percent pass accuracy.
Umeh Emmanuel 7/10: Umeh was introduced into the game in the 57th minute, and he had an instant impact, assisting the Flying Eagles’ opening goal. He also had two attempts on goal. His dribbling was good and was very lively in the final third.
Rilwanu Sarki 7.1/10: Sarki scored the second goal for Nigeria. He was introduced in the 57th minute, and his impact was felt. He was full of running, putting a good shift on both ends of the pitch. And he was also very physical.
