Penalty flatters insecure Ekong performance, Adams shines on debut: Lesotho vs Nigeria player ratings

The Super Eagles came into this international window tasked with collecting six points from a possible six, and they have cleared the first part of the hurdle by beating Lesotho.

Troost Ekong opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a tepid first half, and Akor Adams got his debut goal, which ensured Hlompo Kalake's late striker did not spoil the Super Eagles party.

Pulse Sports assessed the the performance of each player against Lesotho and scored them over ten:

After the qualifiers, Nigerian have to have a serious conversation about Stanley Nwabali's continuation as first choice.

The Lesotho game was another, in succesion, in which he failed to inspire confidence. He also committed a blunder in the match, a weak punch from a corner which was latched onto by Kalake for Lesotho's goal.

Benjamin Fredericks was brilliant once again, this time in a right-back role. Defensively, he was solid, proving impervious when Lesotho attacked down his flank.

Offensively, he made up the yards like a natural marauding fullback. He was secure on the ball, and his deliveries were very encouraging.

The match against Likuena was fresh evidence that the Super Eagles must phase out current captain, William Troost-Ekong. 

The Al-Khoolood centre-back could not keep up with his man. During the first half, Lesotho got in behind the Nigerian defence on multiple occasions, and Ekong was the culprit. 

However, he did score the opening goal in the game, a well-taken penalty kick, after a Lesotho defender handled the ball in the box.

Bassey did his job and was solid as usual. He had some moments in which he could have done better, especially those instances when Lesotho got behind the Nigerian defence. But he looked markedly better than his veteran partner. 

Bruno Onyemaechi was rarely questioned defensively. Lesotho favoured attacking through the right side; hence, the Olympiacos man was sparsely tested. Offensively, he left so much to be desired with his crosses. 

Wilfred Ndidi was another who continued a string of underwhelming performances. The Besiktas man improved in the second half, getting two shots off. However, in the first, he was untidy on the ball and did not cover enough ground. 

Like Ndidi, Iwobi had a lethargic performance in the first half. His passes were loose, and he made poor decisions on the ball. In the second half, however, he improved with the rest of the team. His shot on goal led to the corner kick, which birthed the Super Eagles' opener in the game. 

In other poor performances, Moses Simon would at least manage to look dangerous, but he would beat his man before delivering an underwhelming cross.

In this game, however, that respite was not even granted. He struggled to affect the game. However, it must be stated that he had a telling contribution in the penalty which resulted in Nigeria's opener. 

Lookman continues to string these underwhelming performances together, reminiscent of his pre-AFCON Super Eagles form, and it is hard to look beyond the system. His passes were inaccurate, his dribbles failed to come off, and he had a big chance in the match which he should have buried.

Tolu Arokodare was anonymous. Tasked with playing the second striker role, the towering Wolves striker rarely affected the game. When he found himself in the hole, he failed to link up efficiently, and when he found himself in the box, he did not show his usual dominant aerial prowess. 

Osimhen's outing left a lot to be desired. Unlike Arokodare, the Olusosun-born striker received some crosses in the box that he should have done much better with. 

However, he showed industry and had a telling contribution in the game. The Galatasaray man assisted Akor Adams' winner to ensure Nigeria go into the Benin clash with the World Cup to play for. 

Arokodare against Rwanda, Adams against Lesotho – maybe Eric Chelle should ensure to sub in one debuting striker each game, as they seem to guarantee goals.

Adams, fresh off downing Barcelona at the weekend, came off the bench to replace the Wolves striker. He immediately got busy and proved a handful for the Lesotho backline. 

He got his goal 18 minutes after coming, executing a skill move to create space before burying the ball in the far corner. The goal made it 2-0 and ensured the Super Eagles won the game despite Kalake's late strike. 

Samuel Chukwueze replaced Ademola Lookman in the 71st minute. He looked lively but didn't have a telling contribution.