- It’s Super Eagles’ highest ever scores
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Nigeria’s Super Eagles have never had it so good and rosy soaring to their biggest ever international victory with a 10-0 walloping of São Tomé and Príncipe in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 qualifier on Monday.
On the day that Napoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen went on a scoring spree, the Eagles were unstoppable as they made mince meat of the Seleção dos Falcões e Papagaios (The Falcons and True Parrots Team).
Osimhen, who is an Arsenal of England’s target in the current transfer window, had four goals to his name, with three of them coming after the break.
He opened scoring in the 9th minute before going on to add the three others in the 48th, 65th, and 84th minutes. It is Osimhen’s first hat-trick and goal haul for the senior national team.
Terem Moffi, who plies his trade for FC Lorient in France, recorded a brace, while Moses Simon, Oghenekaro Etebo, Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Dennis all registered their names on the scoring sheet with a goal each.
It was indeed a complete humiliation for the Coach Adriano Eusébio-tutored True Parrots in the encounter decided inside the Stade Adrar Agadir, Marrakech in Morocco.
Nigeria’s previous record win was a 10-1 victory over Benin Republic, then called Dahomey, in Lagos on November 28, 1959.
On their part, São Tomé and Príncipe’s biggest defeat ever came on 7 July 1976 in Libreville, Gabon when they drubbed 11-0 by Congo.
With this victory, the Super Eagles have now moved to the top of AFCON qualification Group A standing after winning their opening two fixtures.
With five goals, Osimhen now tops the scorer’s chart in the qualification series for the competition. Nigeria’s next game in the race for the biennial showpiece holds in September against Guinea Bissau
The current campaign flagged off on Thursday, June 9, 2022 with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Leone Stars of Sierra Leone 2-1 at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The Eagles are hoping to reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to hold in Ivory Coast between June 23 and July 23 next summer. Teranga Lions of Senegal are the reigning AFCON champions. – With Agency reports
