Chijioke Gabriel
Some Nigerians who spoke to The Journal after Wednesday night semi final against Ghana in the ongoing Unity Cup have praised the Super Eagles for their victory over archrival, Black Stars of Ghana, but insist the team must up their game if they must clinch the trophy ahead of Jamaica on Friday night.
The Nigerian football enthusiasts believe the Super Eagles players started well but lost focus in the second half which led to their conceding a goal and almost allowing Ghana to equalize.
A staunch Super Eagles supporter, Dele Ayorinde, said: “Coach Chelle is yet to find the rhythm of this team. They have all it takes to excel but must always avoid complacency and be consistent from start to finish. I expect them to up their game against Jamaica and not give room for careless mistakes”.
Recall that Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Wednesday night recorded another win against fierce rivals Black Stars of Ghana thanks to a 2-1 triumph in the second semi-final of the Unity Cup in London, setting the stage for a dazzling final against Jamaica on Friday.
The last time the two teams clashed was also in a friendly game in March 2024, which the Super Eagles also won 2-1.
The Super Eagles dominated the first half and deservedly went into the break 2-0 up, thanks to Cyriel Dessers’ opener and an own goal by Razak Simpson. But it was a different Black Stars in the second half, as they bossed the entirety of the next 45 minutes and pulled a goal back through Brandon Thomas-Asante.
The Black Stars would hope to finish the tournament on a positive note when they face Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place fixture, also on Friday.
The Super Eagles bossed the early exchanges and deservedly took the lead in the 14th minute through Dessers.
The Rangers striker controlled a cross from Sodiq Ismaila inside the box and slotted past the Ghanaian keeper.
In the 19th minute, the Super Eagles doubled their lead as Semi Ajayi’s header off a set piece came off Black Stars player Simpson and rolled beyond the reach of the keeper.
With two minutes left to play, Frank Onyeka’s attempted cross deflected off a Black Stars player and was heading into the back of the net, but the keeper recovered well to palm it away for a corner.
In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the Super Eagles almost added a third goal, but the effort was cleared off the line after an initial save by the keeper.
It was a better performance in the second half by the Black Stars, which saw them go close on several occasions.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho thought he had made it 3-0 on 68 minutes after firing past the keeper, but it was ruled out for offside.
With 20 minutes left, Ghana’s impressive second-half display was rewarded as Thomas-Asante slotted home a cross from the left. Six minutes later, Jordan Ayew went close to leveling the score but failed to direct a cross into the net.
