September 03, (THEWILL) – Kelechi Iheanacho was the two-goal hero for Nigeria on Friday as the senior men’s national football team opened their Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-0 win over the Lone Stars of Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
Iheanacho’s two first half goals were the deciders as Nigeria played a controlled match without giving away too much to the visitors. Profiting from a short corner kick that looked like something straight out of the training ground, the Leicester City forward played a one-two with Alex Iwobi before firing into the near corner.
That 22nd minute lead was doubled in the 44th minute with the same pair of players involved again. A throw-in from the left side of the Liberian half was allowed to drift into the danger area. After Everton’s Iwobi nudged the ball behind him, Iheanacho held off his marker strongly enough to turn towards goal and poke the ball beyond the reach of Ashley Williams in the Liberian goal.
There were chances for Nigeria to punish the Liberians even more in the second period but no further goals came about. Gernot Rohr introduced Ahmed Musa in Iheanacho’s place in the 85th minute for the player’s 99th cap. Earlier Genk’s Paul Onuachu had come in for the quiet Victor Osimhen of Napoli.
Osimhen will have another chance to score when Nigeria face the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde in four days time as the UK contingent of Super Eagles stars have not been permitted by their clubs to make the trip with Cape Verde on the UK’s “Red List” of countries where COVID-19 remains prevalent.
That means Nigeria will be without players such as Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Oghenekaro Etebo, and William Troost-Ekong. Also, because Scottish football operates under the UK guidelines, this leaves Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun out of the team.
Nigeria will be aiming for another three points with the team that is left, when these players leave, in that match to consolidate their lead at the top of Group C as the qualifiers continue.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
