Nigeria Vs Jamaica 2:2 (5-4 Penalty Win): Retrospective Review

Nigeria’s Super Eagles retained the Unity Cup title following a 5-4 penalty shootout win against Jamaica after 90 minutes of football ended 2-2.

It’s nice to see that the Super Eagles have an identity under Eric Chelle. They are compact, structured and organised.

Sodiq’s lack of pace (and inability to make up for this weakness) was exploited ruthlessly.

The high line kept by the central defence didn’t help in truth.

Onyeka is workaholic. He is the henchman of the midfield.

Fredrick and Ogbu as a duo didn’t really gel and they lacked leadership. But, individually, they were spectacular.

Felix Agu had some shaky moments. He wasn’t physical enough and he misplaced some passes. That said, it was an impressive debut with his neat touches and offensive drives.

This was Chukwueze’s tournament to be honest. He flicked the ball over an opponent on one occasion thereby injecting flair into the the Super Eagles’ game. He showed pace, power and precision to score his goal and he proved to be a credible attacking midfielder with quality ball control, marauding runs, forward passes and credible dribbles.

Chukwueze was simply awesome.

Ndidi was assured in his play and very sturdy in defensive midfield. His pre-assist precise long ball from deep, into space to Dessers was a thing of eloquence. But, make no mistake, Onyeka does most of the dirty work.

Cyriel Dessers was impressive as a support striker with his troublesome passes and excellent sense of positioning. His cut back assist for the Simon's goal was simply and utterly brilliant.

Moses Simon needs to reinvent himself because he is becoming too predictable. That said, he still makes defenders work for their money and he took his chances with grace and efficiency for this first goal.

Nathan Tells was decent though I struggle to recall any wow moments from him. He was competent without being exceptional.

Nwabali is decent but perhaps he could be a bit sharper. He pulled off some respectable saves but failed to raise his performance to memorable heights.

That Uche is a bully. Power, penetration and purpose defined his play.

With the way Chelle goes about his business, this businesslike approach of the Super Eagles will serve the team well for the remaining assignments in 2025.