Nigeria’s title defence at the Unity Cup was launched in impressive fashion as the Super Eagles secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the opening match of the competition, with debutant Femi Azeez emerging as the standout performer after scoring twice on his first appearance for the national team.
Several fresh faces were introduced by head coach Eric Chelle, with Rangers International full backs Oputa Chibueze and Kenneth Igbokwe handed starting roles.
Debuts were also given to Samson Tijani, Millwall forward Femi Azeez and Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, while Tochukwu Nnadi and Alhassan Yusuf operated in midfield. Chibuike Nwaiwu partnered Igoh Ogbu in central defence, and Terem Moffi captained the side while leading the attack.
An early breakthrough was secured by the Super Eagles in the fifth minute after sustained pressure pinned Zimbabwe deep inside their own half. A dangerous delivery from the left by Kenneth Igbokwe was only partially cleared by the Zimbabwean defence before the loose ball was laid into the path of Azeez by Terem Moffi. The debutant then produced a composed left footed finish from outside the area to register his first goal for Nigeria.
Nigeria continued to dominate possession and another clear opportunity was created six minutes later. Fine attacking play down the left flank allowed the ball to be pulled back into the path of Abdullahi, but his side footed effort was struck straight at goalkeeper Sibanda, who reacted well to keep Zimbabwe in the contest.
The influence of Samson Tijani and Kenneth Igbokwe became increasingly noticeable as the first half progressed. A promising move was created by Tijani in the 29th minute before Igbokwe displayed excellent recovery pace moments later to stop a dangerous Zimbabwe counterattack.
More opportunities continued to fall Nigeria’s way in the 35th minute as the left side once again proved productive. However, Abdullahi was denied from close range after another dangerous attacking move. Shortly afterwards, Tochukwu Nnadi became the first player to be booked in the Unity Cup semi-final.
Zimbabwe briefly threatened in the closing stages of the first half when Maroodza drove forward from the left side after Oputa Chibueze mistimed a challenge. Nigeria managed to recover defensively before another dangerous pull back inside the box was missed by Zimbabwe attackers. Zindoga later fired over the crossbar as the pressure increased before the interval.
A more energetic Zimbabwe side emerged after the restart and Nigeria were fortunate not to concede in the 60th minute. Zindoga’s looping cross sailed over Arthur Okonkwo and appeared to strike the crossbar before going out of play.
Another huge chance was wasted by Zimbabwe just two minutes later when Munetsi found himself unmarked from a corner kick but failed to direct his header on target.
After surviving those dangerous moments, Nigeria quickly punished their opponents at the other end. Terem Moffi raced into the penalty area after being released by a fine through pass and, instead of shooting, unselfishly squared the ball across goal for Azeez to calmly fire home his second goal of the evening in the 62nd minute.
The match also saw Pisa striker Rafiu Durosinmi make his long awaited Super Eagles debut after replacing captain Terem Moffi in the 66th minute.
Zimbabwe’s momentum appeared to fade after Nigeria doubled their advantage, although Fabisch still tested Okonkwo with a long range effort in the 71st minute. The Nigerian goalkeeper remained alert and comfortably dealt with the attempt.
Further changes were introduced by Chelle in the 77th minute as Samson Tijani and Otele were withdrawn. Ikorodu City midfielder Tosin Oyedokun and Plymouth striker Owen Oseni were then introduced to make their own debuts for the national team.
Zimbabwe continued to search for a route back into the game late on. In the 88th minute, defender Garananga surged forward from central defence before seeing his effort deflected behind for a corner, but the set piece was wasted as time continued to run out.
Azeez was eventually given a standing ovation by Nigerian supporters in the 90th minute after an outstanding debut performance. He was replaced by Ikorodu City player Adeoye to cap off a memorable evening.
One final scare arrived in stoppage time when a Zimbabwe free kick caused panic inside the Nigerian penalty area. However, Arthur Okonkwo reacted quickly by getting down to gather the ball safely and restore calm.
With the victory secured, the Super Eagles have now advanced to the Unity Cup final scheduled for May 30. Their opponents will be decided after Jamaica and India face each other on May 27.
