Stanley Nwabali — 7

Even though Stanley Nwabali let in two goals in the AFCON final, many consider him one of the top players for the Super Eagles against Ivory Coast. During the 2023 AFCON final, Nwabali managed to make five saves, which played a crucial role in preventing Ivory Coast from scoring more goals against Nigeria.

Calvin Bassey — 6

Calvin Bassey stood out as Nigeria’s top player during the match against Ivory Coast, displaying strong defensive skills and attempting to initiate attacks with his precise passing from deep positions.

Additionally, the Fulham defender made a critical goal-line clearance in the second half, preventing Ivory Coast from scoring what could have been a decisive goal and maintaining the score at 1-1.

William Troost-Ekong — 6

The Super Eagles’ captain for the day scored the first goal of the match with a powerful header in the opening half, setting a new record as Nigeria’s highest-scoring defender at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, the game took a turn for the worse for the PAOK defender thereafter.

Troost-Ekong was involved in both goals conceded by the Super Eagles, as he failed to mark Franck Kessie for Ivory Coast’s equaliser and was beaten at the near post by Sebastien Haller for the eventual winning goal.

Victor Osimhen — 5

Victor Osimhen delivered a mediocre performance, with the Napoli forward struggling against the Ivory Coast defence. Displaying signs of tiredness, Osimhen found it challenging to overpower Evan N’Dicka and Odilon Kossounou, unlike his previous encounters with defenders during the 2023 AFCON.

Semi Ajayi — 5

Despite not being directly responsible for any of the goals conceded, Semi Ajayi, playing for West Brom, had a challenging performance in the final match. The defender struggled to assist Nigeria in defending set pieces and appeared vulnerable on several occasions, especially when Ivory Coast applied pressure on the Super Eagles for most of the game.

Frank Onyeka — 4

Frank Onyeka, representing Brentford, had a disappointing performance against Ivory Coast during the 2023 AFCON. He struggled to make an impact on the game and was outperformed in midfield by the Elephant’s midfield players.

Alongside Alex Iwobi, Onyeka found himself second-best and couldn’t influence the game against Ivory Coast.

Alex Iwobi — 4

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi faced difficulties in the last two matches, and his performance in the final was even poorer than in the semifinals against South Africa.

Both Iwobi and Onyeka found themselves clearly outmatched by Ivory Coast’s midfield, which included 32-year-old Hull City player Jean Michael Seri. This was not a favourable situation for the former Arsenal and Everton star, indicating a rough patch in his recent performances.

Ademola Lookman — 4

Ademola Lookman, Nigeria’s leading scorer at AFCON before the final, had a disappointing performance against Ivory Coast and seemed much less effective against the hosts.

Lookman found himself tightly marked by the Ivorian defence and struggled to make an impact against the tournament hosts. Throughout his 79 minutes on the field, he failed to create any goal-scoring opportunities, being unable to even attempt a shot on goal.

Zaidu Sanusi — 3

His high rating stems primarily from the low expectations based on his previous performances at the 2023 AFCON. The Porto full-back appeared unsteady in defence, nearly leading to a goal in the first half.

Additionally, he failed to impress in the attacking phase, missing one of the rare opportunities that the Super Eagles managed to create.

Ola Aina — 3

The Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina, is likely to remember his encounter with Simon Adingra in the AFCON 2023 final with regret. Aina’s performance was dreadful, as he managed to execute only one successful tackle throughout the game. Moreover, he was dribbled past three times, one of which led to Adingra providing the assist for the winning goal.

Substitutes

Samuel Chukwueze — 3

During his 56 minutes on the field, Samuel Chukwueze managed to complete only four passes, with his lone attempted dribble ending unsuccessfully.

Additionally, he lost five out of six duels against the Ivory Coast players. The AC Milan forward faced further struggles as he was dispossessed seven times throughout the match.

Get the latest and greatest updates right away! Join our exclusive WhatsApp channel and never miss out on exciting news again.

Ultimately, Chukwueze failed to validate Jose Peseiro’s choice to include him in the starting lineup for the final.

Moses Simon — 4

The Nantes forward, Moses Simon, entered the game as Nigeria’s initial substitute against Ivory Coast with hopes of making a significant impact against the hosts. However, he failed to influence the match notably.

Moses Simon’s performance didn’t see much improvement over the disappointing display of Chukwueze, whom he replaced before the hour mark. Instead, Simon was merely a reason for the overall insufficient performance by the Super Eagles.

Alhassan Yusuf — 5

Alhassan Yusuf, who came on as a substitute in the 79th minute for Iwobi, didn’t manage to make an impact on the game against Ivory Coast.

Kelechi Iheanacho — 5

Kelechi Iheanacho, the substitute from Leicester City, entered the game in the 79th minute, replacing Ademola Lookman. However, apart from a few brief moments of promise, he didn’t significantly alter the course of the match for the Super Eagles.

Joe Aribo — X

Entered the match with only four minutes remaining in normal time but made no impact on the game.

Terem Moffi – X

Entered the match with just four minutes remaining in regular time and failed to influence the game.

Check out more sports updates here.