AFCON 2021: How Sadiq Umar and the other Super Eagles newcomers fared against Guinea-Bissau

The Super Eagles of Nigeria played against Guinea-Bissau in the final round of group stage games, having already secured qualification as winners of Group D.

This meant head coach Augustine Eguavoen treated it as an opportunity to rest important players, and rang the changes by handing eight players their first start at the 2021 AFCON.

The changes did not affect the team’s performance as Nigeria sailed to a 2-0 win but how did the newcomers perform? 

Francis Uzoho deputised for the resting Maduka Okoye and had a decent game, keeping a clean sheet despite Guinea-Bissau’s best efforts. 

Uzoho put himself in contention for further selection with two good saves from long-range efforts in the 79th and 86th minutes.

Uzoho did enough to earn his second clean sheet in two AFCON appearances after he kept out Tunisia in the third-place playoff at AFCON 2019.

Semi Ajayi made a cameo appearance in the win against Egypt having come off the bench in the 79th minute to replace the injured Kenneth Omeruo.

After remaining an unused sub in the next game against Sudan, the centre-back finally got his chance from the start against Guinea-Bissau.

Semi Ajayi played the full game and had a good headed chance in the first half which he failed to convert but at least he has a clean sheet to show for his efforts which he earned with a goal-saving block in the 86th minute.

There was nothing in his performance against Guinea-Bissau to suggest that he would steal Kenneth Omeruo’s place in the team when the knockout rounds begin though.

Not only was this Tyronne Ebuehi’s first appearance at AFCON 2021, but it was also his first game for Nigeria since March 2021.

Ebuehi had an uneventful game as he was hardly tested defensively and failed to catch the eye going forward as well. You can expect to see Ola Aina back in the team for subsequent games.

Jamilu Collins started and played to completion all of Nigeria’s six games (albeit under a different coach) prior to AFCON 2021. It is safe to say he was the Super Eagles’ first-choice left-back and would have probably started the first two games ahead of Zaidu Sanusi if he had arrived in Cameroon earlier.

Jamilu Collins made his first AFCON 2021 appearance in the win against Guinea-Bissau and had an average game.

Collins played the full 90 minutes but was largely unspectacular and did not grab his chance to reclaim the left-back spot from Zaidu Sanusi.

Kelechi Nwakali gave a good account of himself in what was not only his first AFCON start but also a first start for the Super Eagles. He played alongside the ever-present Wilfried Ndidi in central midfield and showed glimpses of quality before getting subbed off in the 75th minute.

Nwakali displayed good movement and passing in the middle and created a big chance in the first half which should have been an assist had Umar Sadiq converted.

After an eye-catching substitute appearance against Egypt, Chidera Ejuke finally got his chance as a starter to the delight of Super Eagles’ supporters.

But the winger failed to live up to the expectations and was replaced in the 57th minute by Moses Simon, who immediately signalled an upgrade in quality on the left wing.

Ejuke did not have a good game but his talent is undeniable and he will most likely make more substitute appearances in subsequent games.

Alex Iwobi played the full game against Guinea-Bissau as a right midfielder rather than his preferred left flank or in the hole as the number 10.

Perhaps the change in position affected his performances Iwobi failed to influence the game as he would have liked.

He did come on as a substitute in both of the games prior to this one which implies that he will play more games at a similar capacity in the knockout rounds.

The much-maligned striker had been on the receiving end of criticism for his poor substitute appearances in the first two games and the trend continued against Guinea-Bissau.

Sadiq made it a hat-trick of poor performances with his first-half miss still fresh in the memory. He would go on to open the scoring for Nigeria with a tap-in from Kelechi Iheanacho’s wonderful assist.

Peter Olayinka, Frank Onyeka, Olisa Ndah and Henry Onyekuru all made their AFCON 2021 debuts as second-half substitutes but failed to make any noteworthy impact.