The Super Eagles of Nigeria were held to a 2-2 draw by the Al-Nashama of Jordan in a friendly on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
While the Super Eagles were widely expected to win due to their superior individual quality, the team ultimately failed to deliver the victory.
Nonetheless, their performance could be excused by the fact that coach Éric Chelle fielded an experimental starting lineup.
With many of the players not used to playing alongside one another, a clear lack of cohesion plagued the side throughout the match.
Following the encounter, Soccernet.ng rates the performances of the players who featured for Nigeria on the night.
Super Eagles’ Player Ratings vs Jordan
Francis Uzoho (6.3/10):
Uzoho put in a solid performance. He looked confident, commanded his box effectively, and his distribution was largely faultless. The goal he conceded was a strike few goalkeepers would have been able to stop.
Emmanuel Fernandez (7.0/10):
The lack of familiarity in his first-ever partnership with Igoh Ogbu was evident. The duo was caught out on several occasions, suffering from both communication lapses and momentary losses of concentration.
His link-up play with the midfield was also shaky at times. However, finding the back of the net helped spare his blushes and boosted his overall score.
Igoh Ogbu (6.4/10):
A respectable outing, though Ogbu likely left the pitch feeling he could have offered more. While the Slavia Prague defender worked tirelessly, he lacked coordination and occasionally seemed out of sync with the rest of the backline. He has the potential to be much more commanding.
Bright Osayi-Samuel (6.8/10):
A strong performance from the fullback. He was defensively sound while constantly bombing forward to overlap and support the attack.
Although his decision-making was occasionally questionable, he provided the vital assist for Nigeria’s second goal.
Zaidu Sanusi (6.3/10):
Filling in for the absent Onyemaechi, Sanusi delivered a steady, if unspectacular, performance.
While he held his own defensively, he was caught out of position a few times and offered little in the final third, occasionally struggling to retain possession.
Raphael Onyedika (6.5/10):
If Onyedika aims to displace Wilfred Ndidi, he will need to deliver more commanding performances than this.
He struggled to dictate the tempo, perhaps hindered by the tactical setup, leaving too much space for Jordan to exploit. To his credit, he remained positive and tried to contribute to Nigeria’s attacking transitions.
Frank Onyeka (6.6/10):
The surprise pairing with Onyedika in central midfield initially lacked chemistry. Onyeka was forced into a clean up role, doing a lot of the dirty work in the Nigerian half. As is his trademark, he chased down every loose ball and provided high energy throughout.
Moses Simon (7.3/10):
Simon was a livewire from the kickoff and was justly rewarded with the opening goal in the 17th minute.
He was a constant thorn in the side of the Jordanian defense during the first half, though his influence waned significantly after the interval.
Ademola Lookman (6.7/10):
Lookman started the match with great intent and played a key role in the buildup to the first goal. However, he struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities for himself or his teammates. Like Simon, his performance tailed off in the second half after an energetic start.
Yira Sor (6.5/10):
A promising debut for the Genk winger. He showed great industry and looked comfortable on the ball, though he rarely found the space to utilize his elite recovery speed.
His lack of chemistry with the other attackers was expected given it was his first outing.
Akor Adams (6.5/10):
It was a quiet night for the striker. Closely marked by the opposition defenders, he struggled to find any clear sights of goal.
Despite the lack of service, he performed his defensive duties well, leading the press and making his presence felt physically. He will be hoping for better service in future matches.
Substitutes
Adebayo Adeleye 6/10: The Volos shot-stopper was introduced into the game as a replacement for the injured Uzoho. He looked shaky, especially when high balls were played into the area. And eventually, he conceded.
Alex Iwobi 4/10:
When Alex Iwobi was introduced into the game, it was expected that there would be a bit more coordination in the Super Eagles’ build-up play.
But it was still largely chaotic. Then, he got red-carded for wrestling down a Jordanian player for a common foul. It wasn’t the kind of behavior you would expect from a veteran with 99 senior caps.
Wilfred Ndidi 6/10: Ndidi did not seem prepared for the pace of the game when he entered the pitch. For a player who has made his fame for being able to stamp his authority in any midfield, he struggled to do that today. Perhaps, if he had started, it would have been a different outcome.
