Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen’s goals powered the Super Eagles of Nigeria to defeat Benin Republic with a decisive 3-0 victory in their AFCON 2025 qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Saturday.
Led by the brilliant performances of Lookman and Osimhen, Nigeria dominated the match from start to finish, erasing memories of their painful loss in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, to set the 2024 AFCON runners-up on their way to Morocco for the next edition.
Lookman, the Atalanta of Italy star and Ballon d’Or nominee opened the scoring line with his exceptional effort late in the added time of the first half, breaking the deadlock after a period of sustained pressure from the Nigerian side.
The introduction of Victor Osimhen off the bench for Victor Boniface proved to be a successful maneuver by Super Eagles’ interim coach Augustine Eguavoen. The Galatasaray of Turkey striker, fresh from his high-profile transfer saga involving Napoli, Chelsea and Saudi’s Al Ahli, made an immediate impact by doubling Nigeria’s lead 2-0 with a stunning goal in the 78th minute that showcased his world-class prowess.
The Atalanta winger doubled the advantage with a second strike in the 83rd minute, completing his brace and putting the result beyond any doubt.
The 3-0 scoreline depicts Nigeria’s dominance throughout the match.
Nigeria top Group D of the AFCON qualifiers with all three points from the first match of the series, while Benin Rebuplic are rooted to the bottom.
