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Debutants George Ilhenikena and Moses Usor scored to lead Nigeria past a feisty Madagascar as the race to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations began with three points up for grabs for the Super Eagles.
A capacity crowd saw the Super Eagles recover from a goal after 15 minutes to turn the game around as Saudi Arabia-based Ilhenikena and Austria-based Moses Usor joined the growing list of Nigerian players who scored on their debuts.
There were just 70 seconds left in the match when Ilhenikena, who was in the thick of most of Nigeria’s efforts in the first period, saw his scissors kick from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross fly wide of the goal.
Samuel Chukwueze also saw his thoughtful pass to Ademola Lookman collected by visiting goalkeeper Geordan Dupire, but in the 16th minute, Barea broke through the Super Eagles’ wall when Clement Couturier headed the ball from a pull-out past Stanley Nwabali, who thought the striker was offside.
In the 34th minute, Nigeria put the ball in the visitors’ net after Dupire fell from a dropout, but Alex Iwobi’s shot was disallowed for an earlier foul.
Ilhenikena, energetic and largely unstoppable, brought Nigeria level in first-half added time when he latched onto the ball on the edge of the visitors’ area to beat Dupire from close range.
The Saudi Arabia striker netted another header a minute later, but Nigeria went to the break in the ascendancy.
Stanley Nwabali made a great save in the 50th minute to keep the score level, and in the 64th minute, debutant Usor collected the ball on the counterattack, beat two defenders and faked two more before unleashing an unstoppable left-footed shot to which Dupire had no answer.
In the 72nd minute, another substitute Tolu Arokodare shook the vertical with a ferocious strike, and although Nigeria continued to press and run wild, there would be no more goals on a historic evening.
The match was Madagascar’s 100th match in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, but in the Nigerian camp, the excitement of Moses Simon’s 100th cap for his country added to the joy of victory.
The energetic striker, introduced in the 58th minute, received a framed shirt with his name from the president of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko; The Acting General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and; SSA to Mr President for Grassroots Sports Development, Mr Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye.
The win took Nigeria top of the group alongside Guinea Bissau’s Wild Dogs, who defeated Tanzania 2-0 in Dar es Salaam.
Nigeria and Guinea Bissau will meet in a top-of-the-table clash at the 24 September Stadium in Bissau on Tuesday, while Madagascar host Tanzania.
