A first half brace from Kelechi Iheanacho ensured the Super Eagles of Nigeria got their World Cup qualifiers off to a flying start with a 2-0 win over Liberia at the Teslim Balogun stadium.

Owngoalnigeria.com rate the players on display for Nigeria in the win.

Players Ratings

Maduka Okoye – Showed calmness when he had to and was also very firm in handling when Liberia try to whip in crosses into the box…..7/10

Ola Aina – Venture forward nicely. Showed good composure in possession and looks a threat when he move to the opposition half…..7/10

Jamilu Collins – Not too adventurous when he had little or no defending to do. Stuck to his main task of keeping an eye on his man brilliantly…..7/10

William Ekong – Dovetailed nicely with Balogun and with little or no pressure played really well from the back. Still need to work on his tackles and positioning…..7/10

Leon Balogun – Bar one careless moment he was by very commanding, charged forward nicely when he had to and showed his usual composure even when under pressure…..7/10

Wilfred Ndidi – Worked really hard for the team. Won back possession, played it forward in time. He makes the team thick…..8/10

Joe Aribo – Couldn’t keep his header form a cross by Aina on target early into the second half. Made the job of Ndidi easy with his smart positioning…..7/10

Moses Simon – Very lively on and off the ball. Went past his markers with ease . A constant threat on the flanks. Whipped in telling crosses which wasn’t converted…..7.5/10

Alex Iwobi – Overcame a slow start to the game to bag two first half assist for both of the goals scored by Iheanacho that decided the game…..8/10

Kelechi Iheanacho- Took both goals really well to show why he is so highly rated. A man of the match performance to match his new moniker Seniorman…..8.5/10

Victor Osimhen- Worked hard for the team as the lone man forward. Should have done better with a one in one early into the second half…..7/10

The Super Eagles of Nigeria started off their 2022 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-0 win over Liberia at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos.

Kelechi Iheanacho ensured the Super Eagles didn’t have to wait for long before opening with a low shot after a short corner kick with Alex Iwobi.

Same combination had a hand in Nigeria’s second goal and with Liberia struggling to deal with a high ball into their box, Iheanacho showed calmness and predatory instinct to finish off a headed pass from Iwobi.

Victor Osimhen had the chance to make it 3-0 in favour of Nigeria but a heavy touch pushed him off target with just the goalkeeper to beat. Ola Aina profited from the loss ball and delivered a cross which which Joe Aribo failed to keep on target.

Iheanacho, Iwobi and Ndidi had chances to kill the game as a contest but failed to make proper decision with some efforts also going wayward. Nonetheless the win see Nigeria go top of the group as the other group game between Cape Verde and Central Africa Republic ended in a 1-1 draw.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has lined up his team in a 4-3-3 formation for today’s 2022 World Cup Qualifiers against Liberia, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The coach retains the bulk of the players he has been working with for most of his time as head coach of the Nigerian team with Maduka Okoye starting as first choice goalkeeper with a back four of Ola Aina, Leon Balogun, William Ekong and Jamilu Collins.

In midfield, Watford midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo was as reported by this portal sacrificed for Joe Aribo who arrived camp two days ago and he will play alongside the duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho who will play as the number ten.

Victor Osimhen as expected will lead the attack of the team with Alex Iwobi on the right and Moses Simon operating from the left with the aim of getting the much needed goal.

Okoye

Aina,Collins, Balogun, Ekong.

Ndidi, Aribo, Iheanacho

Simon, Osimhen, Iwobi

Peter Butler the coach of the senior national team of Liberia says his team will be without three key players in today’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers game against Nigeria.

The coach who said he is hopeful of getting a result despite their absence said he has new players who will step in to their shoes but admitted that playing against a team like Nigeria means little or no margin to try new things.

Most prominent among the missing players is first choice goalkeeper Jerome Ashley but the coach is banking on the players available to him to get the job done.

“Sometimes in life you can’t control certain things. I can only control matters on the pitch . We will see what will happen as at the time goes on. We will see what will happen in the next 24 hours”

“We don’t have Jerome, Ashley and David we need to improvise. This is Nigeria and you can’t change certain things”, he said.

On the impact of new players Salmon and Mohammed Kamara, the coach said “ They have always impressed me because I have always monitored them . They bring enthusiasm, quality and competitiveness to the group. They use to train with technical players. They will compliment the group we selected. I’m delighted to have them on board”.

Head coach of the senior national team of Liberia Peter Butler has lamented the poor treatment meted out to his team upon their arrival in Nigeria.

Liberia arrived Nigeria on Wednesday ahead of today’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers game against Nigeria but according to the coach they weren’t properly received by their host.

He lamented the fact that they were not allowed to use train on the pitch for the game and they had to use the national stadium and also changed their hotel. In addition he also lamented the traffic situation in Lagos.

“We improvised because of the notorious traffic. I requested a schedule and it wasn’t forthcoming. The Nigerian national team said that we can’t train at the same pitch. We had to move to the National Stadium and changed hotel too.

“We trained here at the hotel . We had issues getting into Nigeria but I had rather look at the positives. It’s quite disappointing, I expected it”, he remarked.

There are three Liberia players that the coach of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has picked as threat when his team face them later today in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Lagos.

Rohr while speaking at the virtual pre match conference said he noticed the three players after extensive scouting of the Liberian team and said even his players have seen them via video session.

“They have a team, some of their players are in big clubs like Oscar Dorley playing in Slavia Prague, for example a very good midfielder in Allen Njie who is playing in Switzerland in first division also. They have a very good center forward in Kpah Sherman who is playing in Malaysia”, he said.

“So I think we know them a little bit and we already had some video sessions with our players. It is really a good team and we never underrate them or any other teams.”

He also said the team they faced in a friendly game two years ago and won has some players who are part of the squad for today’s game and that has further given them an idea on how to approach the game.

We played them in a home friendly in 2018 and from that team they still have some players. Also, we had the opportunity to watch their three friendly games in June,”Rohr explained.

“They played in Tunisia twice and the one other game in Algeria and I had my scout there who watched the games his name is Nabil Trabelsi . So during our stay in Austria, Liberia had three games in North Africa.

Nigeria will play with a two man attack of Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho when they take on Liberia tomorrow in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers according to coach of the team Gernot Rohr.

Rohr made this known during the pre match conference ahead of today’s game saying the duo compliment each other in attack but he might call on Paul Onuachu if the team need him later in the game.

He said the fact that Iheanacho is a left footed player makes it easy for him to play with Osimhen who is right footed coupled with the fact that Iheanacho is a different kind of play who can function in different roles.

“Yes. You know that we play this Onuachu in the end of the game in Benin Republic. He scored the decisive goal and we are able to play this two centre forwards. If you play with Osimhen and Kelechi”, he said.

“We have two centre forwards which is good and also Kelechi is able to turn around, come from behind which is already something we did a lot together. When we have competitions. Onuachu is still trying to come into our system and he is a different player to Iheanacho.

“ Is good to have one left footer and right footed player in attack and the understanding is good between Iheanacho and Osimhen but Onuachu is here, he arrived late. He only arrived yesterday because he has some problem for traveling but we can count on him if we need him for the second part of the game”.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has changed his plans for tomorrow’s game following the arrival of Joe Aribo to the camp of the team.

Rohr already has an idea of how he intend to approach the game without the Rangers of Scotland ace as his participation in the game was in doing to the extent that he was ruled out of the game.

However he arrived camp yesterday and he will likely start tomorrow as he trained with players who are sure to start the game at the expense of Oghenekaro Etebo. The Watford midfielder was certain to start tomorrow’s game but it’s not looking likely anymore.

His presence might also bring about a change in the formation planned and trained with in his absence with some players also set to be handed different roles than what was originally planned.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has defended his decision not to include Union Berlin forward Taiwo Awoniyi in his squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers game.

Nigeria will take on Liberia tomorrow before traveling to keep a date with Cape Verde four days after the first game. They will however prosecute the games without the services of Awoniyi who is the current highest goal scorers among Nigerian players in Europe.

With five goals to his name in the first six games of the season. Rohr was asked why the Union Berlin record signing wasn’t named in the squad of the game during the post match conference for tomorrow’s game.

“There are people calling for Awoniyi while also there are those calling for other players. We can only bring three centre forwards, we already have Osimhen, we have Paul Onuachu, we have Terem Moffi who is doing well in Lorient and we even have Kelechi Iheanacho. So which among these players will I remove for Awoniyi to come in?

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr says the newly invited duo of Innocent Bonke and Kingsley Michael won’t be getting their debut tomorrow.

Speaking at the virtual pre match conference of ten team ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup 2022 qualifiers game against Liberia, the coach said they are likely to play away against Cape Verde.

In his response he said they are only two new players in the team as every other player has been invited at one time or the other to the team bar the aforementioned duo.

“For the new players we only have two because others have already been with us. When you talk about Valentine Ozornwafor, Adekunle Adeleke, Chidera Ejuke, they have been with us. The new players are only two, Bonke from Malmo in Sweden andMichael from Bologna,”Rohr added.

“The two players did very well in training, they are both defensive midfielders but for tomorrow’s game their chances are very slim.

“Eight of our players will have to leave after the match against Liberia so they will not be in Cape Verde which means there will be another team for the second game.

“But for the moment we are only focus on the first game. We know for the second game we need other boys that’s why we are happy to have Kingsley and Innocent, they will help us.”