Nigeria vs Tanzania: Heroic Arokodare saves Nigeria as Ndidi displays attacking prowess — Player Ratings

Had a relatively quiet evening between the sticks and could do very little to stop Tanzania’s solitary strike

Put in a steady defensive shift and supported the attack on the overlap before being replaced in stoppage time after picking up a knock.

As usual, Bassey offered a commanding physical presence at the back and distributed the ball reliably from deep. However, he was absolutely destroyed for the goal Nigeria conceded.

Held his ground well enough, though the defensive line looked briefly vulnerable during the sequence that led to Tanzania’s first-half equaliser. He also looked shaky in some instances, as one would expect of a player without a single start for Brentford this season.

The Super Eagles captain anchored the midfield with immense authority, broke up play effectively, and capped off a brilliant display by providing an assist. He could have gotten another, highlighting the box-to-box work he did in the second half.

The New England Revolution man set the tone instantly by opening the scoring in the second minute, but was surprisingly withdrawn at the break after Eric Chelle rightly determined that his set-up needed tweaking.

Tochukuwu struggled to stamp his authority on the game’s tempo and was hooked at halftime as Nigeria looked for an attacking spark.

Iwobi started in the hole behind the strikers and was quietly effective. He kept possession ticking over neatly, but the final incisive pass he has been famed for while playing for the Super Eagles was lacking.

Probably his best game of the season, Lookman looked rather lively in the opening exchanges, assisting Alhassan’s opener. However, he was unfortunately

Akor Adams worked hard to create space and hold the ball up to allow Nigeria to advance up the pitch. However, his shooting boots were missing as he regularly fluffed his lines.

Tolu was the undisputed game-changer, coming off the bench at halftime to net a brilliant brace and secure the victory.

Usor injected immediate pace and creativity after the break, rewarding Eric Chelle’s tactical switch with a vital assist and pre-assist.

Looked lively and direct on the flanks, helping to keep Tanzania’s defence pinned back throughout the second half.

Kept the midfield stable and recycled possession cleanly during his late cameo.

Brought on deep into stoppage time to run down the clock and clear away any late danger.