Late free-kick goal by Rangers wing-player Osas Okoro and another from Plateau United Peter Eneji were enough for Super Eagles to edge the tough Sierra Leoneans on Monday night.
It was the minors that started the game very well as Brilliant stop from Ikechukwu denied Wellington Donald who had latched on a through ball in the box on the 11th minute and the FC Ifeanyi Ubah Goalkeeper produced another save two minutes later from Nathaniel Vula's shot
Yet again, Ezenwa was called into action through a Lahai Coker drive on the half hour mark.
Nigeria dominance produced four corner kicks with no shot on target as the first half comes to conclusion.
Nigeria entered the second half with more urgency than the first showing the dressing room work of the Coaching crew led by Coach Salisu Yusuf.
Nigeria Professional Football League top scorer, Anthony Okpotu saw the keeper off his line and he went for an audacious long drive but he could not hit the target two minutes after the restart.
And he was removed few minutes later for Peter Eneji as he and Eduwo are not having any space in the Sierra Leone tight defence.
FC Ifeanyi Ubah towering defender,Stephen Eze defended coolly before clearing the ball away from the pestering Donald Wellington While at the other end,Samuel Mathias swings a cross for Ali Rabiu whose looping header at the back post goes wide as the game begins to open up after an hour.
Nigeria will not relent when the evergreen Rabiu Ali fires for the edge of the box to draw another smart save from the Leone stars goalie with 12minutes to go.
But the breakthrough finally came when Okoro Osas bends a lovely free-kick over the wall and into the back of the net in the 84th minute and it won't take long for the second to come from a Combination play of Okoro,Ali and Peter Eneji as the latter finishes across the keeper into the bottom right corner to seal the victory even though the impressive Gabriel Okechukwu struck the bar.
Nigeria will play Black Stars of Ghana on Thursday to get the group stage underway.
إرسال تعليق