In only his second competitive match in charge of Nigeria, 62 -year old Portuguese José Santos Peseiro led the Super Eagles to wallop the National Team of Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in the Moroccan city of Agadir on Monday, in the process obliterating Nigeria’s 63 -year old international scoring record.
Victor Osimhen, who also scored the winner against Sierra Leone in Abuja on Thursday, scored four of the goals, starting his account with a powerful header that goalkeeper Anastacio Braganca could not just stop in the 9th minute.
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In the 28th minute, defender Ola Aina’s pull-out found Osihmen, who laid for Moses Simon to tap beyond the flailing hands of Braganca for Nigeria’s second.
Moffi wasted two excellent opportunities to take Nigeria higher on the scoreline, in the 36th and 40th minute, but did just that in the 43rd minute when he beat two defenders to slam into the net from a great Osimhen pass.
In the second half, it was all Nigeria. Osimhen’s firm header from pull-out by Lookman in the 48th minute went in for the fourth goal, and seven minutes later, Oghenekaro Etebo fired his 20 -yard free-kick into the underside of the bar and into the net for Nigeria’s fifth. Osimhen thought he had scored a sixth for Nigeria in the 57th minute, but it was ruled off-side.
On the hour mark, substitute Ahmed Musa, only two minutes on the pitch, found an onrushing Sanusi whose cross found Terem Moffi well-placed to slam the ball into the net for Nigeria’s sixth. It was Moffi’s first goal for the Super Eagles.
Three minutes later, Ademola Lookman found the roof of the net after another Musa pass found Moffi and he chipped over onrushing goalie Braganca. It was Lookman’s first goal for Nigeria.
Osimhen got his hat-trick in the 65th minute when laid on by a sweet Ahmed Musa pass, and in the 84th minute, another brilliant Musa pass found Osimhen in the right place to score his fourth and Nigeria’s ninth.
Substitute Emmanuel Dennis won and converted a penalty kick on the dot of 90 minutes to round off a goal-spangled afternoon for Nigeria in Morocco’s southern coastal city.
The Super Eagles’ next games in the qualification are against Guinea-Bissau, home and away in September.
