Super Eagles Player Ratings: Nwabali Shines but Nigeria Falls Short Against DR Congo in World Cup Qualifier
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali denied DR Congo twice from the spot, but that wasn’t enough to help Nigeria qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Frank Onyeka broke the deadlock for Eric Chelle’s men inside three minutes, as his shot deflected past former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.
Alayanspor winger Meschack Elia levelled the scores two minutes past the hour mark after a series of errors from Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi laid a chance on a plate for the 28-year-old to tap the ball into an empty goal.
The performance of the Nigerian players as their hopes of going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup trembled in their loss to DR Congo.
How the Super Eagles fared against DR Congo
1. Stanley Nwabali 7/10:
The Chippa United goalkeeper didn’t have the best 90 minutes as he kept playing on the edge, and his silly mistakes could’ve wrapped the game up much earlier.
However, a save in the last minute of extra-time, alongside two good stops in the penalty shoot-out, once again reflects why he’s the starter for the three-time AFCON Champions.
2. Benjamin Frederick 6.7/10:
The FCV Dender defender, despite playing out of position, had his game cut out for him playing against the experienced Arthur Masuaku.
While he wasn’t spectacular in attack, he was defensively solid and made decent attacking runs.
His grip on the game jaded, especially in extra time, as he seemed to cramp up and get fatigued after playing 240 minutes in three days.
3. Calvin Bassey 6.8/10:
The Fulham defender commanded the backline, putting his body on the line, literally.
The physicality of the DR Congo team meant he had to get down and do the dirty work like he normally would.
A shame he couldn’t convert his spot kick during the shoot-out.
4. Semi Ajayi 6/10:
The Hull City defender appeared to be asked to play at a level of intensity higher than what he was accustomed to today.
Ajayi was very careful in committing to his physical duels. Most of the time, he let the ball run to see what the result would be.
He was unsure in his passing, and his indecision came to light when his tame penalty kick was well saved by DR Congo’s Timothy Fayulu.
5. Zaidu Sanusi 6.3/10:
The FC Porto defender didn’t have much to worry about defensively, especially in the first half, but his involvement in attack was decent.
The second half, however, was a different story entirely. His crosses were terrible as none found a teammate. He was replaced by Bruno Onyemaechi in the 96th minute.
6. Wilfred Ndidi 6/10:
The Besiktas midfielder started the game with a few heavy touches, with the most crucial one leading to DR Congo’s equaliser.
Ndidi could’ve redeemed himself by scoring later on, but a communication problem with Samuel Chukwueze meant the missed chance eventually meant more as DR Congo qualified.
7. Frank Onyeka 6.9/10:
The Brentford midfielder continued his goal-scoring run as he broke the deadlock inside three minutes. His energetic runs in the middle of the park made Ndidi’s lack of legs less evident.
8. Alex Iwobi 5.8/10
The Fulham midfielder started the game on the left for Eric Chelle’s men, but he barely put a foot right.
He misplaced too many passes and took too many touches several times. One of those scenarios led to Congo’s equaliser.
Iwobi was replaced by Tolu Arokodare in the 77th minute.
9. Samuel Chukwueze 5.5/10:
The Fulham winger had the chance to extend Nigeria’s lead in the first half, but for a communication problem with Wilfred Ndidi.
After that, he was barely involved and was replaced by Chidera Ejuke in the 57th minute, bringing an abrupt end to a terrible outing.
10. Ademola Lookman 6.1/10:
The Atalanta winger is currently a shadow of the player he was during the AFCON 2023 tournament, largely due to a prolonged transfer saga with Atalanta over the summer.
He created a few chances in the first half, but the efforts were completely gone in the second half. He was taken off in the 57th minute and was replaced by Moses Simon.
11. Victor Osimhen 5.8/10:
The Galatasaray man had a quiet first half, barely getting any services or clear-cut chances. Surprisingly, he was taken off at half-time and was replaced by Akor Adams.
Substitutes
Akor Adams 6.4/10: The Sevilla striker, just like Osimhen, barely saw chances come his way, but he was the first Nigerian player to score from twelve yards during the penalty shoot-out, boosting the confidence of his teammates.
Chidera Ejuke 6/10: The fleet-footed winger struggled to impress. He was camped in his own half largely due to the intense pressure from DR Congo. Like his Sevilla teammate Adams, he carefully tucked his spot kick away during the penalty shootout.
Moses Simon 5.7/10: The FC Paris man’s attempts at taking on the Congolese players were like water off a duck’s feathers, barely having any effect. His terrible penalty kick didn’t exactly cover him in glory.
Tolu Arokodare 5.7/10: Standing at 197cm, it’s rather surprising that the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker is less of a threat than Victor Osimhen in aerial situations, and even in hold-up play.
He barely put a foot right, and the only chance he had couldn’t be directed on target. After replacing Alex Iwobi in the 77th minute, the former Genk man was withdrawn for Chidozie Awaziem in the 115th minute.
Bruno Onyemaechi and Chidozie Awaziem came off the bench but didn’t make any notable impact. The Olympiakos defender scored a sweetly struck penalty kick, but that was pretty much it.