AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Osimhen's brace of Iheanacho last minute strike earns Nigeria qualification ticket

Posted : 19 June 2023

In a not-too-good performance, Nigeria's Super Eagles grinded a 3-2 win over the Sierra Leoneans Stars at Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia, Liberia.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria had earlier surrendered a 2-0 lead in the first half which created a nervy atmosphere.

It however took a late strike from relegated Leicester City hero of the day forward, Kelechi Iheanacho to earn the Jose Peseiro-tutored team a place in the plane off to the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast.

The Super Eagles were the better side of the game from the blast of the whistle with FC Napoli's hitman, Osimhen adding to his international goal account to make it 16 goals in the 19th minute and added another few minutes later to earn a 17 international goal ahead of Odion Ighalo whose record stood at 16 and the current Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa whose record was also 16 goals.

The Leone's Stars cut the deficit as Mustapha Bundu scored just before halftime whistle.

The host Sierra Leone started the second half with a renewed energy which paid off as Augustus Kargbo equalised for them towards the tail end of the encounter before substitute Iheanacho scored the winning goal and earned Super Eagles the qualifying ticket.

The result means that the temporary leader of Group A Guinea Bissau dropped to the second spot but also secured a place in the biennial tournament for the 4th consecutive time.

The win means Nigeria topped Group A with 12 point from five games while Guinea Bissau garnered 10 point from 5.

Nigeria will at the last Match Day host Sao Tome and Principe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

Speaking on the Match, a veteran journalist and a media officer of the Super Eagles Supporters Club, Sunday Agunbiade noted that the game against the Leone Stars had exposed some lapses in the team.

"The Super Eagles needs serious technical help.

"After throwing away 2 goals leads against lowly-rated and ranked Sierria Leone, only to snatch victory at the death with virtually the last kick of the game.

"Without any doubt, this is not how best to rank among the top teams on the continent.

"To our advantage, the match was played at a neutral venue in Monrovia, Liberia.

"Something looks very wrong from the choices of some players to the tactical display and failure to respond when it was evident the team lacked the mental capacity to kill off the game when they had it in their hands," he said.

Agunbiade added: "The U-17 Goalkeeper from the class of 2017, that failed to make it to the U-17 World Cup, Adebayo Adeleye, gave a very good account of himself.

"The Coaches need to educate us more on why some players playing regularly for their clubs were benched for fringe players, and others playing in the lower leagues got the nod ahead of active players in top leagues.

"Understandably, they are playing on an unfashionable artificial turf, but not enough with the class of some of our top players in Europe.

"Kudos to Victor Osimhen for the brace," he said.

"An Eagle is well above the class of chickens. The entire team must wake up, from the football house to the technical crew and the players, all hands must be on deck."

AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Osimhen's brace of Iheanacho last minute strike earns Nigeria qualification ticket

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