The Super Eagles began their 2026 Unity Cup campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The three-time African champions headed into the clash at The Valley as favourites and, despite Eric Chelle making several changes to the side, Nigeria still looked comfortable throughout the encounter and deservedly sealed the win.
Debutant Femi Azeez was the standout performer, marking his first appearance for the national team with a brilliant brace to send Nigeria into the final and kickstart their campaign in style.
Nigeria vs Zimbabwe: What happened?
Head coach Eric Chelle handed debuts to four players as Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, Femi Azeez, Obinna Igboke and Chibueze Oputa all made their first appearances for the Super Eagles.
Meanwhile, Terem Moffi captained the side in the absence of Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon, while Francis Uzoho was left on the bench.
One of the debutants made the breakthrough inside five minutes as Azeez fired into the back of the net from outside the area after a layoff from Terem Moffi.
Alhassan Yusuf was denied in the 34th minute, while Chibuike Nwaiwu produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle moments later to stop Zimbabwe from finding an equalizer after a dangerous counterattack.
Philip Otele then missed a glorious opportunity to double Nigeria’s lead after a flowing move involving Yusuf, while the impressive Tochukwu Nnadi flashed an effort narrowly wide from the edge of the area as Nigeria went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
Zimbabwe came out stronger in the second half but were wasteful in front of goal before Azeez doubled Nigeria’s lead just after the hour mark. Moffi played a cutback into his path and the winger calmly finished into the net.
The Warriors tested Okonkwo late on, but Nigeria held firm to secure the victory and advance to the final.
Super Eagles player ratings vs Zimbabwe
Arthur Okonkwo 6.5/10: Okonkwo enjoyed a solid debut in goal and was rarely troubled throughout the game. He produced an excellent save in the second half when called upon, while his distribution was largely faultless and his long balls helped relieve pressure on the defence.
Chibueze Oputa 6.5/10: The Enugu Rangers defender looked composed on his first outing for the Super Eagles and remained solid defensively throughout the game.
However, he offered less going forward compared to his club teammate, Igboke, on the opposite flank.
Obinna Igboke 7.0/10: Igboke delivered a steady display on his debut at left-back. He linked up well with Philip Otele on the left wing and contributed positively in attack, even starting the move that led to Azeez’s opening goal.
However, he was occasionally caught out defensively after pushing forward, which caused a few problems at the back.
Igoh Ogbu 6.8/10: Ogbu looked solid alongside Nwaiwu at the heart of Nigeria’s defence and won several duels, especially in the first half. He also covered effectively for Igboke whenever the full-back surged forward.
Chibuike Nwaiwu 7.0/10: Nwaiwu produced another composed display in only his second appearance for the Super Eagles.
He worked tirelessly throughout the match, with the highlight being his brilliant last-ditch tackle in the 41st minute that denied Zimbabwe a clear shooting opportunity which could have resulted in an equalizer.
Tochukwu Nnadi 6.9/10: The Olympique Marseille midfielder dictated the tempo in midfield and worked tirelessly to help Nigeria control the game.
He was unfortunate to receive a booking in the first half after appearing to win the ball fairly, and he also came close to scoring with an effort that flashed across goal just before halftime.
Alhassan Yusuf 6.7/10: Making his first appearance for the Super Eagles in over a year, Yusuf looked sharp and disciplined in midfield. He combined well with Nnadi to break up Zimbabwe’s attacks and nearly got on the scoresheet in the first half before being denied by a superb block.
He was also involved in the flowing move that led to Otele’s saved effort.
Samson Tijani 6.3/10: It was a decent outing from the midfielder, who was making his first Super Eagles appearance in six years. He provided energy and industry in midfield before being substituted in the second half.
Philip Otele 6.5/10: Otele had quiet spells during the game and will feel he should have scored when presented with a clear opportunity in the first half, only to be denied by the Zimbabwe goalkeeper.
Still, he linked up well with Igboke on the left flank, although his final delivery lacked quality at times.
Femi Azeez 9.0/10: Azeez stole the headlines with a stunning Player of the Match performance, scoring both goals on his Super Eagles debut. The winger looked comfortable throughout, drifting infield to get involved in play while constantly threatening the Zimbabwe defence.
His first goal was a moment of real quality, while he showed great positioning for the second. The Millwall forward also produced flashes of skill during the game, even though one dangerous cross in the second half failed to find a teammate.
Terem Moffi 6.8/10: Moffi captained the side well and provided the assists for both of Azeez’s goals.
The striker linked play effectively at times, although he could not get many opportunities in front of goal himself before he was substituted.
Nigeria will now face the winner of the other semifinal clash between India and Jamaica in the final on May 30.
