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- The Super Eagles hosted the Republic of Benin in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification fixture
- A brace from Ademola Lookman and a goal from Victor Osimhen sealed an emphatic win for the Nigerian team
- The marquee duo have been lauded with praise following their impeccable display in the crucial qualification match
The Super Eagles of Nigeria kicked off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with an emphatic victory over the Republic of Benin.
The fixture, which had been clouded by scepticism from Nigerian fans—largely due to the team’s unsettled coaching situation—came to life when Ademola Lookman opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time.
The Atalanta forward dazzled with a brilliant solo effort, gliding past two defenders to give the Super Eagles a crucial lead heading into the break.
Augustine Eguavoen’s side built on that momentum in the second half, as marquee forward Victor Osimhen doubled the lead in the 78th minute with a clinical strike, expertly finishing a cross from Wilfred Ndidi.
The Super Eagles capped off their perfect start to the qualification campaign when Lookman added a second goal, finishing cleanly from a Moses Simon pass.
The win not only served as subtle revenge for the defeat suffered against Benin in June, but it also propelled the Super Eagles to the top of Group D, according to FotMob.
Amid the widespread reactions to the match, Lookman and Osimhen have been singled out for praise by Nigerian fans.
Fans praise Lookman and Osimhen
Twitter user @BmKriistien, praising Ademola Lookman, commented:
“Man of the Match performance from the African Best Player of the Year 🐐💯.”@Ajo1luv, also lauding the Atalanta star, wrote:
“Ballon d'Or nominee for a reason.”@Ibrobaba_ echoed similar sentiments, sharing:
“African Footballer of the Year.”Meanwhile, @kayodeyinkus expressed optimism for the team’s future:
“From Osimhen to Lookman… if we keep this up, we can win two AFCON titles, maybe even reach a World Cup semifinal.”An elated @MrFEM0 added:
“Idolo. This is exactly what we expect from him.”The victory over Benin marked the Super Eagles' first competitive win since their 2023 AFCON quarterfinal triumph against Angola in Ivory Coast.
Gernot Rohr speaks about facing Nigeria
Legit.ng in another report detailed that the coach of the Republic of Benin team, Gernot Rohr, has expressed concerns about facing Nigeria.
The septuagenarian highlighted the abundance of quality available to the Super Eagles, which could cause problems for his side in the clash. ohr was previously in charge of the Super Eagles between 2016 and 2021.
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Source: Legit.ng
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