AFCON 2025Q: How Super Eagles Rated In Slim Win Over Libya
Completesports.com’s ADEBOYE AMOSU rates the performance of Super Eagles players in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday night…
Stanley Nwabali 6/10
The Chippa United goalkeeper was virtually on holiday during the game. His ball distribution was top notch as usual.
Ola Aina 5/10
Not one of his best games for the Super Eagles. He was not at his best in the encounter.
William Troost-Ekong 6/10
Kept things tight at the back and also helped the attack too.
Calvin Bassey 6/10
An above average showing from the Fulham defender. Proved to be a good partner for William Troost-Ekong.
Bruno Onyemaechi 5/10
The Boavista defender failed to replicate his previous performance in the qualifiers against the Mediterranean Knights.
Wilfred Ndidi 5/10
The Leicester City midfielder put up an average showing in the game. He was replaced by Raphael Onyedika 12 minutes from time.
FRANK ONYEKA 4/10
The midfielder was not at his usual best, and was duly replaced by Samuel Chukwueze a minute after the hour mark.
Alex Iwobi 5/10
The 28-year-old came close to scoring twice in the first half. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru took his place on 78 minutes.
Moses Simon 6/10
The Nantes winger teed up substitute Fisayo Dele-Bashiru for the winning goal four minutes from time.
Ademola Lookman 5/10
Ademola Lookman toiled hard to impress in the game with little success.
Victor Boniface 4/10
Another disappointing display from the Bayer Leverkusen striker. He is yet to score for Nigeria in nine outings.
Substitutes
Samuel Chukwueze 4/10
The AC Milan winger made a little impact in the game after replacing Frank Onyeka.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru 5/10
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored his second international goal four minutes from time.
Raphael Onyedika 4/10
Showed what he can do with an impressive 14 minutes appearance.
Taiwo Awoniyi 2/10
He was not effective in the few minutes he spent on the pitch
Semi Ajayi
Not rated.
9 Comments
O boy this person snorts pink cocaine with these ba ratings…
Who be this rater . He obviously didn’t watch the game. Your rating is 0/10
SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS RATINGS VS LIBYA
By Hillary Ochiabuto (FIFA)
GOALKEEPER
1.Stanley Nwabali (7/10)
The Chippa United of South Africa safe hands was practically on holidays for the most part of the game. He however rose to the occasion the few times he was called upon with spectacular saves. He once came off his line at a time in the game thereby exposing his goal mouth.
DEFENDERS
2.Ola Aina(5/10)
The Nottingham Forest of England right back did not cover himself in glory in this game . This may yet be one his worst games in a Super Eagles shirt. He made some erratic passes and lost possession of the ball so easily. He did not quite join the attack as expected and his crosses were few in between.He however grew into the game after receiving some pep talk from coach Augustine Eguavoen.
3.Bruno Onyemaechi (8/10)
The Boavista man seems to have cemented his place in the absence of injured Zaidu Sanusi of FC Porto. He joined the attack from his left wing back position and delivered some killer crosses into the opponents’ penalty area. He also performed his defensive duties well.
4.William Troost-Ekong (8/10)
The Skipper kept things tidy at the back and provided leadership on the pitch when it mattered most.He combined well with Calvin Bassey in the central defence to keep the marauding Libyans at bay .
5.Calvin Bassey(7/10)
The Fullham man was preferred ahead of Semi Ajayi in the Super Eagles central defence. He helped the Eagles maintain their clean sheet in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers having not conceded any goal so far in 3 games .
MIDFIELDERS
6.Wifred Ndidi(5/10)
The Leicester City player did not really click with Alex Iwobi and Frank Onyeka ina three-man midfield combination. He gifted the ball to the opponents’on few occasions. However he grew into the game later on.
7.Frank Onyeka(6/10)
The on loan Augsburg man did not live up to his reputation as a destroyer. The aggressive Libyans danced around him with effortless ease. However,he delivered a good cross from the right in the game which no player could connect to fire home .
8.Alex Iwobi(5/10)
Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew fizzled out so early in the game. He. did not perform his playmaker’s duty as expected and ballonned a goal-bound ball into the air to the disappointment of the fans .He was justifiably substituted in the second half with Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
FORWARDS
9.Victor Boniface(6/10)
The Bayer Leverkusen striker struggled to make any impact in the absence of Victor Osimhen. He had no shot on goal throughout the game and was most times found to be out of position. He is yet to convince in a Super Eagles shirt.
10.Ademola Lookman (9/10)
The 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup winner with England and 2024 Ballon D’our nominee was again in his element. He scored a good goal which was adjudged to be from an offside position. Overall he gave a good account of himself despite fluffing some few chances in front of goal.
11.Moses Simon (8/10)
The FC Nantes of France winger dazzled, outsmarted and mesmerized the Libyan Right back for the most part of the game,sending him to the wrong direction with his awesome pace and dribbling runs. His hard work was rewarded in the 86th minute when he delivered the cross from the left flank which Fisayo Dele-Bashiru pounced on to score Nigeria’s lone goal.
Watch out for how the Substitutes rated….
Forget about the Completesports rater but I beg to disagree with you on few of your ratings as well. Frank Onyeka doesn’t deserve a 6/10 maybe 3.5/10 and Victor Boniface is a definite 3/10 with no impact as a top striker. An advice for Mr Eguavoen is to stop being stupid about his team selection. Boniface is not ripe enough and he has shown that in the 9 matches played so far and starting a Frank Onyeka ahead of a Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is like committing a selection suicide except if you want to play jam-bodi-football. 9ja please get a coach because Egu is just a parapo coach not suitable for a national team of Nigeria’s calibre.
This una Victor Boniface na another Jonathan Akpoborie, good for clubside but trash with national team. I see no reason why he should play ahead of Kelechi Iheanacho. In Super Eagles shirt, a one-legged-Kelechi can make bigger impact than Boniface. If Osimhen isn’t playing, then Nacho should play ahead of Boniface. One goal in more than 10 games isn’t good enough
I couldn’t agree more..Iheanacho can strike the ball so well,in fact he has the best shooting abilities in our team.Though not at his best form at the moment but like you rightly said,a half fit Nacho will have meaningful impact than Boniface and Awoniyi respectively.
Should Eguavoen start Nacho away to Libya,we are guaranted more potency upfront with the likes of FDB and Lookman in the mix,a goal threat indeed.I’m of the opinion a team should have at least 3 natural goalscorers starting games to enhance it’s chances of scoring goals.
We suffer atimes with scoring goals even though we create many due to we parade players who don’t have the knack for scoring goals,that’s why we experience lots of misses and most of them are painful!
Yep. The only issue with Nacho is his lack of constant pressing ability, which is required in modern game. But he won’t waste the type of chances most of our forwards miss. Nonetheless, I expect him to start ahead of Boniface in the next game.
Ademola lookman 5? Moses 6?
Who’s your supplier?
What’s wrong with all these complete sport writers? What sort of rating is this?
SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS RATINGS VS LIBYA (CONCLUSION)
By Hillary Ochiabuto (Odebiuwa).
THE SUBTITUTES
12.Samuel CHUKWUEZE(7/10)
The AC Milan effeverscent winger was introduced after the break for Frank Onyeka with the camera showing him receiving instructions on what to do from coach Augustine Eguavoen. He made some dangerous forays down the right flank, causing anxious moments for the Libyan defence . He also fired a thunderbolt of a shot on target which was saved by the Mediterranean Knights’ goalkeeper.
13.Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (9/10)
The SS Lazio attacking midfielder added some stability and urgency to the Super Eagles midfield after his introduction. He missed a sitter which got coach Austin Eguavoen scratching his head on the sidelines. However,he positioned himself so well in the 86th minute pouncing on a delicious cross from the enterprising Moses Simon to smash the ball into the back of the net for the game’s decider.
14.Raphael Onyedika(5/10)
The Club Brugge of Belgium midfield maestro put every feet right and in his characteristic manner, covered every blade of grass on the pitch as the Super Eagles surged forward in search of the much needed goal .
15.Taiwo Awoniyi (2/10)
The Nottingham Forest striker was introduced very late into the game and was anonymous for the few minutes he spent on the pitch.
16.Semi Ajayi (4/10)
The England-born defender was introduced for Ademola Lookman in the dying minutes as a precaution to shore up the defence and maintain Nigeria’s lead as the game reached the home stretch. The West Bromwich Albion man did just that as he intercepted a dangerous ball and thwarted a last ditch goal-bound move made by the visiting Libyans.
RATING THE COACH
It’s now 2 wins and 1 draw for coach Augustine Eguavoen in his third spell with the Super Eagles.
“Cerezo” as he is popularly called by admirers ,however has continued with his penchant for introducing players from the bench very late into games.
When it was obvious that Bayer Leverkusen striker, Victor Boniface had no ideas on how to unlock the Libyan tight defence, he allowed him to continue even after the break.
Overall, Eguavoen has proven to be a good coach as most of his decisions paid off at last. He also seems to have established some kind of bond with the players and this is good for team stability and cohesion.
The Sports Ministry and the NFF should make his appointment permanent while hoping for the best going forward.