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It was a shaky start for Nigeria Super Eagles against Equatorial Guinea in the 2023 AFCON.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria kicked off the quest for a fourth AFCON title on a shaky note following an uninspiring draw in their opener.
Nigeria was held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea, with the Eagles coming from behind to salvage a draw on Sunday.
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17:17 - 14.01.2024
Osimhen 1-0 Salah: Super Eagles star takes early lead in AFCON 2023 Golden Boot race
Victor Osimhen scored for Nigeria in the 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea to open a lead on Egypt's Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race.
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17:05 - 14.01.2024
'Blame Osimhen' : Nigerians lament missed chance as Super Eagles draw Equatorial Guinea in AFCON opener
According to Nigerian football fans, despite scoring Osimhen is a "fraud', fails to show why he is the CAF Player of the Year.
Here are three key reasons why the Super Eagles failed to get the job done against the National Thunder.
1. Super Eagles' wasteful finishing
While the Super Eagles looked anything but convincing, Nigeria got into good attacking positions and created enough to have scored more than one goal.
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However, Zaidu Sanusi and Victor Osimhen were guilty of missing most of the six big chances created by Nigeria against Equatorial Guinea.
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Poor decision-making and execution in the final third proved costly for Nigeria.
2. Stubborn Equatorial Guinea defense
Led by their impressive goalkeeper Jesus Owono, the National Thunder deserve some credit for their display and discipline at the back.
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Owono, who was named man of the match, made an impressive six saves to deny the Super Eagles, including stopping Osimhen from point blank following a one vs one chance in the second half.
Equatorial Guinea’s organisation and determination to grind out a share of the spoils ultimately frustrated Nigeria’s attack.
3. Jose Peseiro’s tactics
From swapping Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman on the wings to ignoring Raphael Onyedika again, with Frank Onyeka preferred in midfield, the Nigerian coach failed to cover himself with glory.
The Super Eagles looked a poorly coached team against the National Thunder and for 90 minutes, looked to lack ideas on the pitch.
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Peseiro’s continuous tinkering and changes were evident in the team and proved to be the foundation for a lacklustre display.
In summary, Nigeria’s profligacy, tactical issues and Equatorial Guinea’s stubbornness off the ball meant the Super Eagles had to settle for a disappointing draw.
The display highlighted areas Nigeria must improve on if they are to go further than the group stage at the AFCON2023.
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