Nigeria avoided huge embarrassment in their quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, after they beat Tanzania 3-1 on Friday evening.
The Super Eagles were looking to go within one point of leaders Guinea-Bissau with a victory.
And they began on a good note, with Alhassan Yusuf opening the scoring in the second minute of play.
The visitors equalized before the half-time break following a defensive mix-up.
Substitute Tolu Arokodare then came off the bench to score the winner and secure maximum points.
So, what did we learn from this game?
1. Nigeria back in it: The only acceptable result for Nigeria today was a win. And they picked up all three points thanks to a strong showing in the second half. Dropping points would have meant that they didn’t capitalise on Guinea-Bissau’s 1-1 draw with Madagascar. Now they have six points, only one behind the leaders.
2. Chelle’s formation was problematic: For such an important game, Eric Chelle started with a timid formation that had three defensive midfielders. This meant that Alex Iwobi was forced to play too high and unable to provide the much needed creativity. With the match delicately poised at 1-1, Chelle had to throw the kitchen sink at Tanzania, making two impactful changes for the second half.
3. Arokodare could fill Osimhen’s shoes: Arokodare has been in fantastic form since he went on loan to Ajax this season. And his clinical edge made all the difference for the Super Eagles, with Akor Adams fluffing his lines. Arokodare scored twice and could have even bagged a hat-trick as Nigeria’s blushes were spared. It remains to be seen if Eric Chelle starts him in the reverse fixture.
