President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles during their recent Unity Cup campaign in London.
Reflecting on the team’s impressive run, defeating Ghana and Jamaica before earning a hard-fought draw against Russia, Gusau praised the squad’s overall output and the emergence of new talents.
Read Also: Unity Cup Final: Super Eagles and Reggae Boyz light up London
“Apart from the regulars that we already know what they are capable of, the tournament in London allowed us to see players like Benjamin Frederick, Felix Agu, Christantus Uche, and Igoh Ogbu. We saw more of Cyriel Dessers. The home-based professionals—Papa Daniel Mustapha, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, and Collins Ogwueze—did not fare badly either,” he said.
Gusau also highlighted the positives from the Russia friendly, where Tolu Arokodare netted a second-half equaliser following Semi Ajayi’s first-half own goal. “In Russia, we saw more of Uche, and we saw Tolu Arokodare score a poacher’s goal. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was also excellent on his return, and captain William Troost-Ekong held the defence unit well,” he noted.
“Now, we have options in defence, midfield, and attack, and I am quite satisfied with the team’s output in the three matches,” Gusau added.
The Super Eagles defeated Ghana’s Black Stars 2-1 in a thrilling semi-final at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on May 28, before edging Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the final. The Unity Cup campaign concluded with a 1-1 draw against Russia at the iconic Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
“Now, we have good options in all areas as we look ahead to the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, and I am certain that the technical crew is happy with that,” Gusau concluded.
