Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen were the heroes for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers match against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic. The match was played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday.
Lookman broke the deadlock in the first half with a moment of magic. He dribbled past three defenders before firing the ball into the net, giving Nigeria the lead. Earlier, Wilfred Ndidi had put Lookman through on goal, but he failed to hit the target. Benin Republic's goalkeeper, Saturnin Alagbe, made a superb save to deny Samuel Chukwueze two minutes before the half-hour mark.
In the second half, Lookman wasted a chance to double Nigeria's lead. However, Benin Republic grew into the game, with Steve Mounie testing Nigeria's goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, from inside the box. Despite Benin Republic's efforts, Nigeria extended their lead with goals from Lookman and Osimhen, securing a convincing 3-0 win.
The Super Eagles have begun their AFCON 2025 qualifiers with a strong performance, thanks to the contributions of Lookman and Osimhen. The win sets them on a positive path as they look forward to their next match in the qualifiers.