Best and worst performers in Super Eagles’ scrape win against Madagascar

The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their AFCON 2027 qualifier match held in Uyo on Friday. Eric Chell led the team to a remarkable comeback from a goal down, resulting in a hard-fought win. Daily Trust analyzed the performances of three key players from each category: best performers and those who struggled.

Eric Iwobi, Bassey, and Nwabali were crowned the best performers of the match. Iwobi, the Fulham central midfielder, was the catalyst for Nigeria's attacking plays. He created the most chances, made the most long passes into Madagascar's defensive third, and delivered the crucial assist for George Ilenikhena's equalizer. Bassey, the central defender, was second only to Iwobi in terms of passes into the final third and long forward passes.

His accurate passing (94%) and duels won in ground battles contributed significantly to Nigeria's turnaround. Nwabali, the goalkeeper, was pivotal in defense. His decisive save from Rayan Raveloson prevented a second goal for Madagascar, setting up Nigeria's winning goal by Moses Usor.

On the other hand, Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman, and Akor Adams were the worst performers of the match. Chukwueze, despite being a standout player at AC Milan, struggled to find the back of the net for Nigeria. He recorded the highest dribbles (43%) and touches in Madagascar's box (8), but failed to score or even hit the target.

Lookman and Adams also failed to impress, managing only two shots and zero shots on target, respectively. Their performances were described as shadows of their usual prowess, with only one assist from Chukwueze being the highlight of their contributions.