The Super Eagles defeated Guinea-Bissau but will need to improve their performance if they want to win the AFCON tournament.
An own goal from Opa Sangante was enough to seal all three points against Guinea-Bissau for Nigeria, as they head to the round of sixteen with seven points, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria were the favourites to defeat win at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, as Guinea-Bissau had not won any group game prior to this evening's clash.
The Super Eagles were in charge for most of the game but could have scored more goals if they were more clinical.
Soccernet.ng looks at five things we learned from the fixture.
1. Samuel Chukwueze's decision-making cost the Super Eagles.
Chukwueze's poor decision-making has been the highlight of his AFCON tournament so far. The A.C. Milan right winger gets into good positions and makes great runs, but has been very poor in the final third and showed that today again.
2. Moses Simon's crosses are poor.
Just like Chukwueze on the right wing, Simon struggled on the left wing. The Nantes man played in one direction throughout the game and was unable to impress. He completed just one cross, with the majority of his pullouts turning out to be overhit or under-hit.
3. Ola Aina is very good on both sides.
After a colossal performance against Ivory Coast, Ola Aina impressed again this evening. The Nottingham Forest full-back played on the left side today, with Bright-Osayi playing on the right, and barely put a foot wrong all game. He combined with the attackers well and was solid defensively.
4. Nigeria finish Group A unbeaten.
A draw against Equatorial Guinea, and wins against Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast saw the Super Eagles finish one of the toughest groups unbeaten. Jose Peseiro's men scored three goals and conceded just one goal, finishing second in the group, behind Equatorial Guinea on goal difference.
5. The 3-4-3 formation keeps the Super Eagles compact at the back.
The Nigerian coach switched to a back-three formation after the game against Equatorial Guinea, and his team have not conceded any goal since then. The team have looked compact and always have the opposition attack covered and outnumbered.
Worst Super Eagles ever seen.
I voted for Pessero (National team coach) to stay but his formation and approach to game is the worst so far.
How do you expect a team like Super Eagles to play 5-2-3 formation against Cote-D’ivore and Guinea Bissau?
You don’t win a war when you respect your opponent too much, besides, this coach lacks mental capacity to lead a team like Nigeria.
We are not a team with diffensive pattern. No link between the midfield and the attack.
Having good striker with no passes from the mid-field.
Every department performed extremely poor, so many wrongs passes, infact, about 60% of the players has no clue of what to do on the field of play when they have balls, no quick decision.
Their mentality is extremely low.
Pessiero has played all the 8 diffenders in 3 matches, changing more diffenders than attackers in every game. Imagine changes attackers for a diffenders in the second match.
Very frustrating to watch the Super Eagles. The team needs serious improvement otherwise it cannot go beyond the second round.
This coach is the worst super eagles coach so far , he has no game plan , lack the capacity qnd the technical ability to move our football forward, nff should please sack this man bf he disgrace us.
The honest truth is that, this team may face embarrassing losses in the next round, they are technically deficient, tactically negative, they are a big team only in name
Hmmm, this current Super Eagles is nothing but same level with Fanny Amu’ wobble and fumble’.
We paraded strong attackers but where are the goals? The team is presently riding on a luck but doubt how far their luck will take them.
Imagine a dis-jointed incoherent style of play Nigeria is currently exhibiting while some people are dream of the winning the cup.
There is no creative mid-feeder among our mid-feeders, there is over-reliance on Oshime,. Before kick-up, our opponents already knew the pattern we are going to play.
Check our goals, do you see anyone we score but courtesy our opponents assistance. Indeed it is a long way to go.
well said. Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon always want individual glory than team glory. all the best