Leon Balogun best Super Eagles Player in Tepid affair vs Tunisia

By Tosin Holmes

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles at the Jacques Lemans Arena, in Carinthia, Austria on Tuesday night.

The Super Eagles came into the match after losing 1-0 to Algeria while, their rivals defeated Sudan 3-0 in the lead up to the encounter.

It was the Tunisians who unsurprisingly started the game on the front-foot, attempting to carve open the Eagles defense. However, they would give away too many fouls in the opening exchanges, bullying the Super Eagles, a particular confrontation between Zaidu Sanusi and Mohammed Drager setting the tone.

The Eagles Left Back would prove pivotal all game, creating overloads with Moses Simon when necessary.

The Left wing would prove the catalyst for the goal with a throw, as Ahmed Musa swiftly teed up Kelechi Iheanacho in the twenty first minute with Leicester man’s quick feet getting the best of Yassine Meriah before finding the top corner.

Iheanacho would miss his chance to hit double figures for his nation on the night from the penalty spot, making a meal of a staggered penalty run-up which was saved by Farouk Ben Mustapha.

It would prove a costly miss, with the Carthage Eagles leveling before the break. Juventus Youth Teamer, Hamza Rafia surged down the left and picked out the arriving Right Back Mohamed Drager, who smashed the ball into the net.

Kevin Akpoguma almost restored the lead with a header cleared off the line on the stroke of half time, but it was as good as it got for the Super Eagles.

The match would not match its first half intensity, with both sides cancelling each other out.

Chidera Ejuke and Cyriel Dessers would make their debuts for the Eagles in the last half hour, becoming the 51st and 52nd players to make their bow in the Rohr era.

Nigeria returns to action in November with the AFCON double header against Sierra Leone.

Player Ratings

Nigeria: Okoye 7, Omeruo 6, Balogun 8, Sanusi 6.5, Akpoguma 6, Ajayi 5, Iwobi 5.5, Chukwueze 5, Iheanacho 7, Simon 6, Musa (c) 6.

Subs: Dessers (6), Ejuke (6.5), Collins (6), Awaziem (6)

MoTM: Leon Balogun