Dele Bashiru stars, Victor Boniface flops again: Player ratings from Super Eagles 1-0 win against Libya

Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru broke the deadlock for Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, after coming off the bench in the 74th minute, replacing Alex Iwobi.

While Nigeria were on the front foot for most of the game, they struggled to find the back of the net.The referee also made some wrong decisions, waving off a clear penalty in the first half, and wrongly disallowing Ademola Lookman’s goal in the second half.

Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Nigerian players as they sealed three points in their AFCON 2025 Qualifier against The Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

1. Christian Nwabali 6/10: The Chippa United goalkeeper didn’t have much to deal with today. He completed 92% of his passes but failed to make a single save as the Libyans were blunt in attack, failing to threaten the Super Eagles goal.

2. Ola Aina 6.7/10: The Nottingham Forest full-back constantly made runs into the attacking half of the opposition, trying to make something happen. He played nine balls into Libya’s final third, and completed 95% of his attempted passes.

3. William Troost Ekong 6.7/10: The Al-Kholood central defender remained composed at the back, and completed the most passes of any outfield player on the pitch. He put in a decent shift, winning all of his tackles. He had a chance to open the scoring, and should maybe have done better in that instance.

4. Calvin Bassey 6/10: The Fulham defender was decent this evening, although he showed some aspects of his game needs to be worked on. The 24-year-old misplaced a few simple passes, and had some heavy touches when the ball was played into his path.

5. Bruno Onyemaechi 6.2/10: The Boavista left-back put in a decent effort by making runs down the left, but his crosses barely hit the target, as he completed just 30% of them. He spent most of his time higher up the pitch as Libya were mostly defensive.

6. Wilfred Ndidi 6.8/10: The Leicester City midfielder was tidy in midfield, breaking up play, and keeping possession neat in the centre of the park. His partnership with Onyeka provided a solid cover for the defenders, allowing Onyemaechi and Aina push up with freedom. However, the pivot lacked creativity. Ndidi made way for Raphael Onyedika in the 74th minute.

7. Frank Onyeka 5.5/10: Onyeka’s lack of technicality disrupted the flow of the game. Had the Augsburg man been able to quickly maneuver space or control the ball better, Eguavoen’s men could have gained had more attacking opportunities from counter attacks. He was the first player to be subbed off, as he was replaced by Samuel Chukwueze in the 62nd minute.

8. Alex Iwobi 6/10: The former Arsenal player didn’t have the best of games this evening, as his best work was without the ball rather than with it. As the team’s attacking midfielder, he created just one chance in 74 minutes, and came off for the goalscorer, Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru.

9. Ademola Lookman 7/10: The Atalanta man was quiet in the first half, but put in a much better performance in the second half. He played more centrally and created a golden chance for Bashiru, but the Lazio man skied the opportunity.

10. Moses Simon 6.5/10: Just like Lookman on the other side, the Nantes man came to life in the second half. He came close to finding the back of the net, but eventually created the chance that led to the winning goal.

11. Victor Boniface 4/10: The  Bayer 04 Leverkusen striker struggled to get along and was isolated throughout the game. He also didn’t drop deep to link up with other attackers. He completed just eight passes and didn’t muster any shot on goal. He was replaced by Taiwo Awoniyi in the 74th minute.

Substitutes

Samuel Chukwueze 5.5/10: The AC Milan winger replaced Frank Onyeka in the 62nd minute, but barely created anything in his time on the pitch.

Raphael Onyedika 5.5/10: His introduction brought a bit of spark into the game for Eguavoen’s as he tried to progress the ball into the attacking third.

Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru 7/10: The Lazio midfielder man came on to replace Alex Iwobi and almost immediately got on the scoresheet, but he scuffed his shot. His brilliant positioning saw him score the game’s only goal with three minutes left on the clock.

Taiwo Awoniyi: The Nottingham Forest forward didn’t do much in attack as he completed just a few passes.

Semi Ajayi: The West Bromwich Albion defender came on in the final minute of the game to help the Super Eagles keep things tight at the back.