Weekend of victory galore, for Nigeria fans. As Super Eagles humble Gernot Rohr, Falconet book FIFA U-20 world up round of 16 spot
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Nigeria’s senior national team, Super Eagles Saturday evening spank neighbors, Cheetahs of Benin republic 3-0 in the AFCON 2025 qualifying match played at the Uyo international stadium.
The Super Eagles had suffered victory drought in a qualifying match in seven games.
Ballon d’Or nominee and Europa League final hat-trickster Ademola Lookman beat three defenders on the trot and gently placed the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou for Nigeria’s first goal.
Nigeria went 2-0 up when substitute Victor Osimhen lashed in a half volley from a pass by Wilfred Ndidi. Lookman made it a handsome win when his glancing header off a cross by substitute Moses Simon flew past Dandjinou and into the top corner, with seven minutes left.
The win catapulted the Super Eagles to the top of the table, with Rwanda and Libya having battled to a 1-1 draw in Tripoli on Wednesday. Next up for the Eagles is a clash with Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali on Tuesday afternoon, while Benin Republic will host Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in Abidjan.
The Beninoise and former Super Eagles coach , Gernor Rohr , prior to the encounter had consistently boasted the tactical superiority of his tutored side over the Nigerians.
The Franco German tactician, had been widely reported of being boastful of possessing the potency gained out of his death knowledge of Nigerian football , boasting to deploy same to dislodge Nigeria from the campaign for the AFCON 2025 ticket.
In a related development, goals by Amina Bello, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, Flourish Sabastine and substitute Joy Igbokwe against Venezuela in Cali on Saturday took two-time silver medallists Nigeria to the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
Victory earned the Falconets six points and a plus three goals difference in their group D campaign, with their Round of 16 game to come up in Bogota on Thursday.
