Nigeria beat Meanows, Sao Tome and Principe on Sunday, in an entertaining display of goalscoring skills by the Super Eagles. The eventual scoreline, which was 6-0, may not have well depicted the level of dominance enjoyed by the Super Eagles over their opponents. However, the full-capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, was treated to a goal fest of some sort by a rampaging Nigeria, who had, in the reverse fixture, whitewashed Sao Tome 10-0 in Morocco.
Super Eagles remarkable performance
The opening whistle showed that the Nigerian side was determined to secure an emphatic victory. From the start, they showcased their attacking prowess, keeping the opposition’s defence on the back foot. With their exceptional passing, strategic play, and solid teamwork, the Super Eagles quickly established a strong grip and asserted themselves on the game.
Within the first ten minutes, Nigeria broke the deadlock with a sensational goal from striker Victor Osimhen, throwing the Uyo fans in ecstasy. The stadium erupted with cheer as the Eagles skillfully manoeuvred past defenders, displaying his undeniable expertise and agility. The early goal set the tone for what would become a dominant performance by the home team.
As the match progressed, Nigeria’s relentless pressure continued to overpower Sao Tome Principe. The midfield tandem of Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka relentlessly controlled the central midfield department, making it impossible for the Sao Tome attack to break through to the defence.
On the offensive, the Eagles were no match for their guests, as Sao Tome Principal struggled to cope with Nigeria’s onslaught, often finding themselves hemmed in their own half. The Nigerian team capitalized on this advantage, with further goals coming from Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen in quick succession.
Nigeria Dominates and finished at the Top of Group A
The resounding victory seals Nigeria’s position as group winners, finishing with 15 points, 5 more than their closest rival, Equatorial Guinea. It also puts the huge favourites tag on the three time African champions, heading into next year’s showdown in Ivory Coast.
Jerrymusa.com reports that Super Eagles coach Jose Paseiro commended his players’ commitment and expressed satisfaction with the result. He also looks forward to guiding the team to the continental showpiece in 2024, where he hopes to win the Afcon title for Nigeria’s eagerly awaited 4th title.
Victor Osimhen who opened scoring, finished the qualifying campaign with a goal haul of ten, emerging the highest goalscorer of the qualifying series, ahead of Senegal’s Sadio Mane. Following his performance in the just concluded Afcon qualifiers, coupled with his title-winning exploits with Napoli, fans and stakeholders have now tagged him the overwhelming favourite to win this year’s African Footballer of the Year award. Recall that the Napoli talisman also emerged one of the players shortlisted on the Ballon d’Or list for this year, a feat which was last achieved by a Nigerian (Nwankwo Kanu) in the year 1999.