Interim coach of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen has revealed the secret behind their slim 1-0 win over Egypt at the ongoing 2021 delayed Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Eguavoen in his first competitive game as coach of the Nigerian team masterminded what has been described as the best football exhibited by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a long while.

The coach was flexible in the usage of 4-2-3-1 which becomes 4-4-2 when in possession and by so doing leave the Egyptians with difficulties on how to cope with the wing play of the Super Eagles.

Beyond the tactics, the coach also revealed some personal talks and knowledge about yesterday’s opponent which made the win possible but calls for concentration ahead of their second group game against Sudan.

“I’d like to congratulate my players, we had respect for Egypt and we just played our game Egypt only played on giving Salah spaces to run, it’s their only play, so we just had to keep the ball away from him”, he stated.

“Salah is one of the best players in the world, the strategy wasn’t a specific marker, but we instructed the players to close him down at any time and they must be a second player behind the marker”, he further explained.

On what he told the players before the game, he said his emphasis was mainly on giving their best for the cause as demanded of them in the national colours of Nigeria.

“The same set of players, every coach have their style, philosophy and leadership. I told the players to see me as their brother and father, my assistant I called them my colleagues. We have a path towards the same direction, we have the privilege to serve the country and we must always give our best.

“We did everything in the game, every game is a finale to us. We won our first game, now we are focused on the upcoming clashes”, he concluded.

The goalkepper of the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye is reveling in the clean sheet he kept for Nigeria in their 1-0 win over Egypt at the ongoing AFCON 2021.

Okoye narrowed the win to the team spirit in the Nigerian team while expressing his joy of keeping a clean sheet in the encounter.

“It feels great, I think I need to give thanks to the team because we played very well. I am very happy to get the cleansheet today (Tuesday)”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.

Asked about how it felt like keeping a clean sheet against Mohammed Salah he said Leganes defender Kenneth Omeruo kept the dangerman in check with the aid of the midfielders.

“He is one of the best players in the world. We have fantastic midfielders and they did a great job. We were sharp and gave them no chance”, he explained.

“Omeruo did very well and gave a account of himself. He was very important for us. We have to continue to stick to us and give our best*, he concluded.

Interim coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen has defended the duo of Chidera Ejuke and Sadiq Umar who were off colour in yesterday’s 1-0 win at the 2021 delayed Africa Cup of Nations.

The duo were introduced in the second half of Nigeria’s win with Ejuke replacing Samuel Chukwueze on the right while Sadiq came in for Taiwo Awoniyi to lead the attack and charge for the second goal.

Ejuke was particularly wasteful spurning two good chances with poor decision as he went for glory when the best option would have been a ball across as Nigeria has numbers in the box waiting to pounce.

Sadiq on his part failed to maintain the tempo set by Awoniyi in ensuring the Egyptian back line have no space to enjoy building from the rear. Eguavoen has leaped to the defence of the duo.

“We know the strength of our players, we know Ejuke is good from the left side, and it was impossible to substitute Simon, it was a tactical change and Ejuke had chances to finish the game. For Umar, maybe first time in such a big stage, he gave me some excuses after the game and we will talk to him later”, he explained.

The coach of the Egyptian team Carlos Queiroz said his team didn’t get their tactics spot on in the 0-1 defeat in their first game of the 2021 delayed Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroon.

Egypt were downed by a strike by Kelechi Iheanacho in the 30th minute who profited from an attack initiated down the right hand side of the defence of Egypt, where Nantes winger Moses Simon was a threat all game long.

Reacting to the defeat, the Portuguese coach cited the space and time given to Simon as part of the reason why his team conceded the goal that decided the match.

“We didn’t play well in the first half and with the way Nigeria played from the left, we couldn’t handle it early enough and it led to the goal”, he explained.

He however insist that the outcome of the game would have been different if the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled in favour of his team when they had a penalty shout in the Nigerian box.

“In the second half, there was a very clear penalty for us that the referee didn’t award and the VAR did not intervene,” Queiroz said.

“Maybe at that time, the VAR was not working.

“There was clearly a penalty. It wasn’t our day, it wasn’t also a good day for the refereeing. Even my grandmother would have awarded it a penalty.

“It is a disaster because there are VAR referees. It is unacceptable. Watch the incident yourself. It’s unbelievable that with all these referees, no one noticed the penalty,” he added.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen says the performance of Nantes winger Moses Simon in the Super Eagles 1-0 Egypt didn’t come as a surprise to him.

In his first game as interim coach, the former Super Eagles captain played Simon in his preferred position on the left side of attack and the 26 year old played one of his best games in the colours of Nigeria.

Simon started the game with a skillful turn which left his marker Akram Tawfik injured and substituted by Mohamed Abdel Monem in the 12th minute. Even Monem couldn’t handle the winger for the duration he was on.

Asked if the display of Simon came as a surprise to him, Eguavoen exclusively told OwnGoalNigeria.com that it did not surprise him as he has known and watched Simon at close quarters and know what he can do.

” I have known him for a while. You don’t know him so it can be a surprise to you but not me. He was at the top of his markers yesterday but we want more from him because he can do more.  Running direct at defenders is his strength and we want to make the best use of it”, he said.

Former Super Eagles captain Austine Okocha says Moses Simon deserve to be handed the man of the match award and not Kelechi Iheanacho after Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Egypt.

Iheanacho scored the goal that decided the game but Simon ran the show and was simply unplayable from the start till when he was substituted late into the game for Alex Iwobi.

The Nantes winger was full of flair, pace and invention leaving his markers in their wake including a smart twist which injured his marker and led to his substitution very early into the game. The substitute couldn’t keep the 26 year old in check as well.

Speaking as a TV pundit during the game, Okocha picked Simon as the best player on the pitch but admitted that the official man of the match award given to Iheanacho isn’t a bad idea due to his goal which proved to be the decider.

” For me, Moses Simon is the man of the match. He tormented the defence line of the Pharaohs of Egypt”, Okocha said

”He was a menace. He brought out many crosses that would have led to goals. I think he caused a lot of havoc and he deserved the man of the match, anyway my opinion.

“I picked Simon as the man of the match but you have to understand with the decision to hand Iheanacho the award. His goal decided the game and when you score a goal of that quality. It’s hard not to get recognised for it*, he concluded.

Pressure is mounting on the Super Eagles’ coach Eguavoen to win the AFCON trophy for the country nine years later after they did it in 2013. They moved closer in the previous AFCON competition where they were the second runners-up. The Super Eagles have their eyes glued at the 2021 AFCON prize. They have a host of talents that can beat any team on the continent. You can place you bet in Nigeria on the player to score the most goals for Super Eagles in the tournament. The following are the reasons why Nigeria can Challenge for the 2021AFCON Trophy:

Presence of a talented squad

The current crop of players making up the Super Eagles squad has been drawn from top leagues in Europe. Nigeria failed to qualify for this tournament twice. However, when they made it to the tournament in 2019, they made the semi-final spot. This team is determined to move further than that. Read below to get an insight into the rare show of talent at Eguavoen’s disposal:

Show players

Super Eagles will be led up front by the talented Kelechi Iheanacho. The center-forward professional has gained enough experience to trouble defenders in the current AFCON games. The show player made headlines in 2021 when he scored 19 goals for Leicester City. The talisman made history last season being the first player to find the back of the net on each of the seven days of the week in one season in the Premier League dairies. We fancy him to set another record in this year’s tournament.

Wilfred Ndidi

Ndidi has been a utility player for the Foxes on several occasions. The central midfielder has mastered the art of protecting the defenders uniquely. Moreover, he is known for creating goal-scoring opportunities and gets to the score sheet when matters get worse. He is the player to watch if you need a hint on how Super Eagles could lineup against the Pharaohs. The midfielder has been a problem to top-class players in European competitions such as the Champions League, and the Europa League.

Wonderkid talent

Laliga followers will attest that SamwelChukwueze will be a handful for full-backs in the AFCON tournament. The youngster (Chukwueze) made his debut at his parent club Villarreal at 19. He has since made a name for himself and the club. The tricky winger has mastered the art of going past defenders to create goal-scoring opportunities. This tournament will be his second AFCON at 22 years. We fancy him to be one of the players to make Nigeria a competitor rather than a participant.

Selection advantage

Nigeria is home to many talented footballers. The Super Eagle squad is composed of several UK-based characters. For instance, William Ekong (Watford), Alex Iwobi (Everton), Frank Onyenka (Brentford), West Brom’s Semi Ajayi, and Joe Aribo of Rangers will make Nigeria the team to beat in the 2021 AFCON. The squad could have been better if the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Watford’s Emmanuel Denis were present. However, the depth of this squad will be enough to make it possible for Super Eagles to battle for their fourth AFCON trophy.

Kelechi Iheanacho showed his efficiency in front of goal with the lone goal for Nigeria as they claim a 1-0 win over highly rated Egypt in their first game of the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

OwnGoalNigeria.com rates the players on display for Nigeria in the game.

Maduka Okoye – Had virtually nothing to do in the first half bar a near post save. He did come up with a save using his legs to deny Mohammed Salah the chance to draw Egypt level…..6/10

Ola Aina – Held his own against the Egyptian left winger. Apparently playing under instructions not to overlap as he stayed behind unlike his usual style of joining attack. He did join the attack in the second half but poor decision making in the final third denied him the chance to picking an assist or scoring…..6/10

Zaidu Sanusi – Double up nicely with Moses Simon on the left. Marked his man with ease and showed a lot more composure in possession even under pressure. Should have done better by joining the attack especially in the second half…..6/10

Kenneth Omeruo – Kept Mohammed Salah quiet. Passed out of the back nicely and didn’t look out of pace despite his obvious lack of pace. Got injured hence his substitution in the second half…..7/10

William Ekong – Showed an uncharacteristic composure with his distribution. His best game in a Nigerian shirt for a while. Almost handed the Egyptian a route back into the game when he played Salah on but Okoye spared his blushes…..5.5/10

Wilfred Ndidi – The heartbeat of the Nigerian team. Mopped up nicely and also linked up play with ease. Dominated Mohammed El Neny proving why he is so highly rated…..7/10

Joe Aribo – Rolls Royce footballer who makes the difficult things look so easy. Worked very hard off the ball to deny the Egyptians space and time on the ball…..6.5/10

Kelechi Iheanacho – Took his goal with a strike that confiemed his status as one of the most lethal finisher in world football. Should have scored twice. Once his usual composure deserted him when a loose ball fell to him. The other chance he shot wide when through on goal by Ndidi…..7/10

Moses Simon – Lively, unstoppable and commanding in the first half.  Roasted the Egyptian full back with ease. Should have scored and also bagged an assist but his final ball and decision in the box cost him. The best player on the pitch for Nigeria…..7.5/10

Samuel Chukwueze – Had a very quiet first half and didn’t do any better in the second half. Deservedly yanked off in the second half. This game ranks among his worst since his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria three years ago…..3/10

Taiwo Awoniyi – Held up play nicely and used his physical strength to unsettled the Egyptians. Thought he scored with a header but the ball came off the bar. Wasn’t his best display but he put in a commendable shift for the team…..6/10

Substitutes:

Semi Ajayi – Came in for the injured Omeruo and didn’t put a foot wrong although not like he was tested.

Chidera Ejuke – Wasted two good chances to kill the game due to poor decision making in the final third. Did get involved more than Chukwueze the man he replaced…..4/10

Sadiq Umar – Showed his physical ability and his ability to thread passes but didn’t get involved enough to earn a rating.

Kelechi Nwakali – Went missing upon his introduction didn’t provide the stability that was expected of him.

Alex Iwobi – A late sub who did well to ensure that Egypt were denied a late chance at goal with a smart defensive header.

Kelechi Iheanacho showed his efficiency in front of goal with the lone goal for Nigeria as they claim a 1-0 win over highly rated Egypt in their first game of the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Tormentor in chief of the Egyptians Moses Simon showed his quick heels once again to go past his marker before delivering a cross which was nodded on to the party of Joe Aribo whose first time effort dropped nicely for Kelechi Iheanacho to drill home the opening goal of the game.

Iheanacho’s first touch gave him the edge to have the ball under control before rifling home an unstoppable drive leaving the Egyptian goalkepper with no chance.

In the second half he had the best chance to put Nigeria two goals up when am ambitious run from deep by Ola Aina resulted in a shot, which dropped nicely for him but with the goalkepper beaten he surprisingly lost his composure no thanks to a first poor touch.

Egyptian star Mohammed Salah did have his team best chance  to draw his team level but Maduka Okoye outstretched leg did enough to deny him.

Substitute Chidera Ejuke had two good chances to kill the game off but although he brought out a save from the goalkepper he should have done better particularly with the second chance.

Nigeria hang on to claim a first win of the tournament ahead of their next game against Sudan.