The Flying Eagles of Nigeria suffered a painful 1-0 defeat to Norway in their opening game of the FIFA under-20 World Cup at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca in Chile, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Norwegians got the lead in the 9th minute, after Rasmus Holten scored from the penalty spot, following a VAR review that awarded the Europeans a spot kick for a foul from Daniel Bameyi.
The Flying Eagles tried to bounce back, as they dominated the rest of the encounter. But they failed to convert any of their 20 attempts on goal to an actual goal.
In this article, Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the players that did the business for Nigeria on the night.
Flying Eagles Player Ratings
Ebenezer Harcourt for Flying Eagles (Photo credit: Sporting Lagos X)
Ebenezer Harcourt 6.0/10: The Sporting Lagos shot-stopper didn’t have much to do on the night. He faced just one shot, which was the penalty that Norway had, but he could not save it.
Odinaka Okoro 6.9/10: Okoro had a decent outing for Nigeria. He did not have a lot of defensive work to do on the night. He actually spent most of his time on the pitch in Norway half. He looked really lively, but he could not help with a goal or an assist.
Daniel Bameyi 6.5/10: The captain of the team had a decent game, but he would wish it was better. He was the one that caused the penalty, which Norway used to score. But he recovered well after that.
Daniel Bameyi of Nigeria during the WAFU B-U-20 Championship: match between Nigeria and Niger (Photo credit: Imago)
The Europeans did not conjure many attacks, but he did a good job in thwarting some of their incursions early.
Ahmed Akinyele 7.5/10: Akinyele was the best player for Nigeria on the pitch. He hardly put in a wrong foot. He was ruthless with his defensive duties and moved the ball quickly from the back. It was a fine outing for him.
Amos Ochoche 6.5/10: Just like Okoro, Ochoche spent most of his time attacking rather than defending. He didn’t offer much in Norway’s final third though.
Daniel Daga 6.5/10: The Molde star was expected to distinguish himself in the game, as he plays for one of the top clubs in Norway. But he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. His ball distribution could have been better, but his marking was solid.
Israel Ayuma 6.2/10: Ayuma had a decent game for the Flying Eagles. He was expected to be a creative spark in the middle of the park, but he didn’t really create much. Ayuma took some needless shots when he could have just been a bit patient.
Tahir Maigana 6.4/10: Maigana had a disappointing first half, but he picked up in the second. He looked really lively in the second half, but he just failed to find the net. He came really close though, as he struck the bar.
Orseer Achichi 6.2/10: Achichi had a disappointing showing. He failed to influence the game in the final third. He created one half chance in the first half, but that was basically all he offered.
Kparobo Arierhi 6/10: The Mjondalen man had a couple of chances, but he was not efficient on the night. He pressed well, had the right temperament, and was fluid in the final third. But he just couldn’t find the net.
Kparobo Arierhi of Nigeria during the WAFU B-U20 Championship Final match between Ghana and Nigeria (Photo credit: Imago)
Nasiru Salihu 6.3/10: Salihu also had a decent game. His work rate and marking was solid on the night. He had three key passes, one goal attempt, and four tackles in the game.
