Nigeria 3 Benin 0: Lookman brace and Osimhen acrobatic goal give Super Eagles a comfortable win 

The Super Eagles defeated Benin 3-0 in the opening matchday of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Saturday evening at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Interim coach Austin Eguavoen reverted the team set to 3-4-3 and rang some changes in the team that started against the Cheetahs in June.

He handed Bruno Onyemaechi a start, brought back William Troost-Ekong into the starting lineup, and Victor Boniface was asked to lead the line.

Nigeria suffered an early injury scare in the game when Calvin Bassey clashed with Steve Mounié, but fortunately, the Fulham defender was fit to continue.

The home side created their first opportunity of the game in the 11th minute from Ademola Lookman's corner-kick, but Victor Boniface couldn't hit the resulting chance on target.

Three minutes later, Lookman was inches away from getting the opener, courtesy of a decisive pass from Samuel Chukwueze, but he drafted his effort wide.

Courtesy of a free-kick he won, Chukwueze forced Marcel Dandjinou to his first save of the game in the 26th minute, as the goalkeeper tipped his effort over the crossbar.

A minute after the half-hour mark, Onyemaechi tried to set Boniface up for a goal attempt, but Dandjinou was quick to come off his line to deny the Bayer Leverkusen forward from causing any danger.

The Cheetahs got their first shot on target on goal in the 40th minute when Stanley Nwabali had to parry a free-kick away.

Two minutes into the first half additional time, Lookman opened the scoring with a brilliant effort, skillfully weaving past his markers before tucking the ball home.

Six minutes into the start of the second half, Iwobi delivered a through pass to Lookman, who dribbled past the Cheetahs goalkeeper but failed to get past the covering defender to get his brace.

A minute after the hour mark, Boniface tried getting on the scoresheet with a wonderful volley from Lookman's pass but couldn't get hit on target.

Mounié came close to restoring parity for the Cheetahs with two consecutive attempts on goal, but Nwabali denied him on both occasions.

Substitute Victor Osimhen doubled Super Eagles' lead in the 78th minute with an acrobatic effort from Ndidi's deflected pass.

The new Galatasaray forward should have gotten his brace some minutes later when he was put through on goal but he couldn't sort out his feet when trying to round up the goalkeeper.

Eight minutes before stoppage time, Lookman bagged his brace, heading Moses Simon's cross home.

Benin couldn't breach the Super Eagles' goal and have now suffered 14 losses against their West African counterparts.

Nigeria next face Rwanda in the second match of the qualifiers on Tuesday afternoon.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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