Two goals from Ahmed Musa in the second half handed the Super Eagles a lifeline in Russia 2018 as they beat Iceland 2-0. The 26-year-old became the first Nigerian to score in two World Cups and also the highest scoring with four goals.
The Leicester City forward, who went on loan to CSKA Moscow in January scored a contender for goal of the tournament and then used his pace to get Nigeria’s second.
Iceland lost the chance to get half the deficit when Gylfi Sigurdsson blasted a penalty over the bar. The Eagles thus have destiny in their own hands when they play against Argentina next Tuesday.
Here are the players’ ratings.
| Player | Rating | Explanation |
| Francis Uzoho | 6/10 | Came off his line to claim crosses and seemed to communicate better with his three-man defence. Surely growing in stature and confidence and will be very happy with the clean sheet. |
| Kenneth Omeruo | 7/10 | This was the Omeruo of old, solid and powerful in the tackle. Could have sullied his book with a shambolic moment that gave Iceland their penalty in the second half but the best Eagles defender on the day. |
| Leon Balogun | 6.5/10 | Played on the right side of the Eagles defence and was not found out. He also had enough confidence to take the ball into Iceland territory. |
| William Troost-Ekong | 6/10 | Showed some jitters on some loose balls but communicated well with his other defenders to ensure a clean sheet. |
| Brian Idowu | 4/10 | Was ineffective for the first 45 minutes and was rightly taken off at the start of the second half as he did not offer the Eagles any offensive outlet. |
| Wilfred Ndidi | 6.5/10 | Was his usual bustling self, making tackles and covering all the grass as he played slightly ahead of Mikel Obi. |
| John Obi Mikel | 6/10 | The captain played a deeper role and knitted together the Eagles with clean and adequate passes even though he needs to pass more offensively to better affect the Eagles going forward. |
| Oghenekaro Etebo | 6.5/10 | Drove the team forward, especially at the start of the second half. Should have tried to create chances instead of taking them. |
| Victor Moses | 6/10 | Moses could have done more with his direct running troubling the Icelandic defence all through the match. He needs to be more decisive when he gets one-on-one with defenders in the box. |
| Ahmed Musa | 9.5/10 | The real Super Eagle, who took on the onus to get his team the goals that were needed. His two goals were classy and commendable. When Musa is in this mood, he is almost unplayable. |
| Kelechi Iheanacho | 6/10 | Was not as effective as he could have been as he wasted some set-piece opportunities. He showed endeavour and could have scored before he was substituted. |
| Substitutes | ||
| Tyronne Ebuehi | 7/10 | Immediately improved the Eagles going forward with his composure and his triangular passing. Was at fault for giving away the late penalty but that is all part of his learning curve. |
| Odion Ighalo | NA | Not enough time on the pitch |
| Alex Iwobi | NA | Not enough time on the pitch |
| Manager | ||
| Gernot Rohr | 6/10 | It is becoming worrisome that the Eagles continue to post shambolic performances in first halves to then improve dramatically in the second. Changed the shape of his team and moved Mikel closer to the defence, which helped the team offensively and defensively. |
