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A Pulse Sports assessment of the key takeaways from the Super Eagles' triumph against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
The Super Eagles made a resounding statement with their 3-0 demolition of western neighbour Benin Republic. Billed as a grudge match, a defeat to the Cheetahs was the most recent in a run of four anticlimactic post-AFCON matches for the Super Eagles; Nigeria had to make a statement, and they did.
Ademola Lookman’s brace and Victor Osimhen's volley, coming off the bench, helped the Super Eagles to victory against a side coached by their former gaffer Gernot Rohr. The match was a sort of reset, the beginning of Nigeria's journey to the next African Cup of Nations; the following are some key takeaways.
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20:39 - 07.09.2024
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3 at-the-back is here to stay
The Super Eagles have traditionally been identified with the 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. During the AFCON, erstwhile manager Jose Peseiro tinkered with the set-up and deployed a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 if you may.
The formation worked to resounding success, as it corrected the defensive deficiencies of the team and helped Nigeria reach the final of the tournament in Ivory Coast.
Following Peseiro's exit, the successor Finidi George maintained the set-up for two matches before reverting to a back four—which failed to bear results.
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Austin Eguavoen, who has the job on an interim basis, decided to trust the system that worked so well under Peseiro, and Nigeria were utterly dominant. The players were solid in and out of possession, and it suggests that we will be seeing the formation for more games to come.
Osimhen is more dangerous than Boniface
While Eguavoen stayed true to the set-up that proved successful at the AFCON, there were slight tweaks in the personnel department, one of which was Victor Boniface leading the line instead of Victor Osimhen.
The Leverkusen man got the nod over the Lagos-born striker, who is yet to get going this season, as he only recently resolved his future with a move to Galatasaray.
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With Boniface on the pitch, the Super Eagles failed to bear teeth. Despite monopolising possession, Eguavoen’s boys had a blunt edge and could not punish the Cheetahs, but for a solo run from Ademola Lookman just before halftime, which gave Nigeria the lead.
Osimhen came on in the 72nd minute, replacing Boniface and the Super Eagles strike force was immediately invigorated. Osimhen's vertical runs were indefensible for the Benin Republic backline, and while lethargy was indeed a factor, the movement had to happen, and with the Galatasaray forward, it did.
During his period on the pitch, Nigeria found space behind the Beninoise’s backline on multiple occasions and the 20-odd minutes saw the Super Eagles create a bucketload of chances. Osimhen turned one of those chances into a goal in the 78th minute and Lookman did with another to get his brace in the 83rd.
Chelsea missed out
Osimhen scored within ten minutes of stepping onto the pitch. Those were his first set of minutes this season.
His transfer situation over the summer has been well reported, with Chelsea leading the race to land him but failing to seal the deal with a reportedly disrespectful lowball offer.
He had been snapped up by Galatasaray, who exploited the unique market opportunity and if any Chelsea fan was watching Osimhen's dominant performance in his twenty-odd minutes on the pitch, they must have regretted the missed opportunity, given how close they came to sealing the deal.
Eguavoen's football is entertaining
For as much as Super Eagles fans like to joke about the Pep Guardiola tag associated with interim boss Austin Eguavoen, he has proven in recent times that he is capable of coaching free-flowing entertaining football.
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The last time he was tasked with caretaking the Nigerian national team, the 2021 AFCON, Nigeria were possibly the most entertaining side in the group stages, before getting booted in the first knockout round.
While the defeat to Tunisia in the round of 16 exposed the flaws in Eguavoen's tactics, the positives in his set-up—entertaining wing play that empowered players like Moses Simon—were evident in the three group stage games before that match.
While he did not opt for out-and-out wingers in his set-up against Benin Republic today, elements of his tactical inclination were evident, and the Super Eagles were entertaining to watch.
Ademola Lookman is Africa’s best player
The Atalanta man is no doubt the leading candidate for the ever-so-coveted CAF Best Men's Player award, following his Ballon d'Or nomination (the only African in the 30-man shortlist).
Unlike many previous winners who have won the award solely based on their club showings, Lookman's clutch performances for Nigeria have matched his outings for La Dea.
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He finished AFCON 2023 as Nigeria’s top scorer and has now continued his heroics in the Super Eagles' bid to make the tournament in Morocco. His mazing run helped Eguavoen's men grab the opener just before half-time, and he closed off the scoring later in the game.
Outside of his goals, Lookman was also the driving creative force behind the Super Eagles, as he created a match-high five chances.
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