‘Worse than Yakubu’ - Fans slam Awoniyi for shocking miss as Super Eagles disappoint against Lesotho

Fans have called out Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi after the Nottingham Forest star missed the best chance of the game as Nigeria stumbled to a 1-1 draw against lowly Lesotho in the first match of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group stage.

The Super Eagles were expected to steamroll the Crocodiles, ranked 153rd in the world currently, but they were shocked at home as they had to come from behind to rescue a draw.

Several players from the Super Eagles match have borne the brunt of the fans’ dissatisfaction with the final result and performance, and Awoniyi, who missed a clear-cut chance that could have given Nigeria the lead, has not been spared.

While most of the vitriol was levelled at goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, Awoniyi has also come in for some criticism, with fans comparing his first-half miss to the unforgettable gaffe by Super Eagles icon Yakubu Aiyegbeni at the 2010 World Cup against Korea.

Against Lesotho, Awoniyi was left unmarked inside the penalty area with a gaping goal after being teed up by Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, but the Premier League star fluffed his lines, failing to hit the target entirely to the shock and chagrin of onlookers.

Many were quick to point out the similarities between Awoniyi’s miss and Aiyegbeni’s against Korea at the World Cup, with the ex-Everton and Middlesbrough man also failing to hit the target unmarked from point-blank range.

After a disconcerting result at home against Lesotho, many have started to doubt if Nigeria can leave a mark at the upcoming AFCON 2023, with many suggesting that the current team will struggle to even leave the group stage.

With misses like the one witnessed against Lesotho, it is hard to look beyond such worries as the tournament fast approaches.