The Super Eagles of Nigeria stole an improbable win over the Elephants of Ivory Coast in their second AFCON 2023 match on Thursday thanks to a second half penalty.
After wasting several chances against Equatorial Guinea in their opener and the hosts defeating Guinea-Bissau easily, the Super Eagles were not expected to claim all three points but defied logic.
The victory was made possible thanks to a brilliant team display and Daily Trust picks the best three Eagles that flew highest to humble the average Elephants.
William Troost-Ekong
The extra energy the 31-year-old did not expend against Equatorial Guinea was twice spent here, and the captain put it to the best use so far.
From the early exchanges in which he cleared an Ivorian attack, Troost-Ekong looked pumped up and he mopped up all around the five-man backline he organised to perfection for the duration of the match. He also brilliantly took the penalty that earned Nigeria the crucial 1-0 win. A true captain’s performance.
Calvin Bassey
The defender who can play across the defensive line was drafted in to tame the Ivorian attack and he executed it to perfection.
The Fulham defender stepped into midfield to silence Seko Fofana and co., while dropping into defence to stop the hosts’ attack. The utility man used all necessary tools in a bloodied performance.
Victor Osimhen
His early missed chance aside, Osimhen led the line alone brilliantly on a day the Super Eagles played a faux 3-4-3 that was 5-4-1 in reality.
He won the joint-highest aerial duels on the day and had high success on the ground too, leading to the match-winning penalty. The Napoli striker is writing a good story so far.
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