The Super Eagles of Nigeria began their quest to play at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 win over the Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Saturday evening.
With the first half looking to end goalless, Ademola Lookman dribbled into the area to open the scoring.
Victor Osimhen came off the bench to volley home a second for the Super Eagles, before Lookman rounded off scoring.
So, what are the four things we learnt from the game?
1. Lookman for CAF Player of the Year: What a terrific year Lookman is having. The Atalanta winger announced himself on the international stage at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, scoring three times as Nigeria clinched silver. In June, he was the star of the show, as the Serie A club hammered Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final, scoring a hat-trick in that game. With two goals against Benin, Lookman is making a strong case for winning the CAF Player of the Year.
2. Osimhen is who he says he is: Victor Boniface endured a poor game for the Super Eagles against Benin. His hold-up play was not good enough and he fluffed the few chances he got. With the visitors threatening to equalise, Austin Eguavoen threw on Osimhen for what is his first game of this season and he responded with a sublime finish to make the game safe.
3. Nigeria go top of Group D: With these three points, Nigeria have gone top of Group D. Libya and Rwanda had played out a 1-1 draw in their clash and occupy the second and third spots in the group. The Eagles travel to Rwanda in three days and will be looking to establish a firm grip on the group.
4. Rohr fails to exact revenge: Benin, under Gernot Rohr, already beat the Super Eagles 2-1 this year in the 2026 World Cup qualifying series. But Rohr would have really been itching to pull off the double by winning in Nigeria. However, it was not to be, as the hosts won convincingly in front of their supporters.
Nigeria vs Benin Republic: 4 things we learnt from AFCON 2025 qualifier
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