Super Eagles player ratings vs Lesotho: Subpar Iheanacho; Impressive Semi Ajayi

The Super Eagles of Nigeria commenced their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with a 1-1 draw against Lesotho, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lesotho’s Motlomelo Mkwanazi secured an unexpected lead in the 56th minute from a well-executed corner kick by Tshwarelo Bereng, leaving Nigerian fans taken aback.

Semi Ajayi of West Bromwich Albion came to Nigeria’s rescue, leveling the scoreline and preventing Jose Peseiro’s side from enduring a disappointing result.

Here’s a brief assessment of the Super Eagles players in the encounter:

Francis Uzoho (7/10): The goalkeeper displayed improvement from his previous game for Nigeria, making a few crucial saves despite conceding. There might have been room for saving the goal, but overall, he showcased resilience.

Bright Osayi-Samuel (7/10): Engaged well in both defense and offense, though his positioning wasn’t consistently synchronized with teammates.

Jamiu Collins (8/10): Demonstrated versatility and aggression on the left flank, offering support both defensively and offensively. His attempts on goal, unfortunately, didn’t materialize.

Calvin Bassey (8/10): His partnership with Semi Ajayi proved effective, balancing the defensive and attacking duties admirably.

Semi Ajayi (9/10): Instrumental in Nigeria’s draw, not only scoring the crucial equalizer but also showcasing solid defense and commendable runs from the backline.

Alex Iwobi (8/10): Orchestrated the midfield well with precise passes and some attempts on goal that nearly resulted in scoring opportunities.

Frank Onyeka (8/7): Continued his impactful box-to-box performance, displaying good defensive play and effective contributions.

Ademola Lookman (7/10): Showed potential with his forward runs but lacked accuracy in crosses and passes.

Kelechi Iheanacho (6/10): Displayed moments of impact with his strikes but had periods where his presence was less felt, missing a crucial chance.

Taiwo Awoniyi (7/10): Despite limited opportunities, he displayed glimpses of impact when chances arose.

Victor Boniface (8/10): Made significant contributions, carrying on his club form for Bayer Leverkusen, although unable to convert chances into goals.

This post was last modified on November 17, 2023 6:36 am

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories. Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work. With a Bachelor's degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master's Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.

View Comments

  • soccermet defending an unimpressive team, with a bad coach, and, uninspiring keeper, Nigeria media is the problem of Nigeria,both in politics and sports,see the criminal way you are patting this team on the back, for putting every foot wrong, the media chased away gernot Rohr for qualifying Nigeria for a major tournament, but is praising this man, for Keeping a goalkeeper that understand nothing close to intelligence,back pass go through his toros at will, only Nigeria media can tell Nigerians what they are gaining from being deceitful

    • It is the usual Nigerian malaise. When we get knocked out, we blame President Tinubu. This coach is no good, period. We better consider pulling out of the tournament

  • Everything rises and falls on leadership whether it Nigeria leader or Super Eagles, it is leadership deficiency, period. The Nigeria press just added insults to injury my brother

  • The team scouts should go round the 36 states in the country and recruit quality players that would compete and win trophies,am not saying that the foreign based are bad am just saying that we have quality talented players in the country that can perform well.

Share
Published by
Ayomide Oguntimehin

Recent Posts

What Tolu Arokodare said after helping Genk set a new club record with dominant win over Anderlecht

Tolu Arokodare has expressed his delight at being part of history-making at KRC Genk after… Read More

17 minutes ago

Why PSG will not sign Victor Osimhen

French Ligue 1 champions PSG may decide against signing Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen, as… Read More

26 minutes ago

Osimhen: Napoli star drops transfer hint as Man United and Chelsea prepare €75 million bid

Napoli-owned forward Victor Osimhen has sparked transfer speculation with a new comment about his future,… Read More

13 hours ago

Ghana 0-0 Nigeria: CHAN Eagles grab first-leg advantage in Accra against Black Galaxies

Nigeria forced Ghana to a goalless draw in the first leg of the qualifying playoff… Read More

14 hours ago

What Hakimi’s mother said after her son lost the CAF POTY Award to Lookman

Achraf Hakimi's mother, Saida Mouh, has revealed her son has moved on from the disappointment… Read More

14 hours ago

“I see similarities with Leicester” – Ex-Barcelona striker backs Ola Aina’s Nott’m Forest to win EPL title

Former Barcelona and England striker, Gary Lineker, has backed Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina's Nottingham… Read More

14 hours ago