Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked their place in the Unity Cup 2025 final with a tense 2-1 victory over Ghana, but the performance in West London left fans and pundits with mixed emotions. While the result secures a shot at the trophy, the manner of the win, particularly a nervy second half, highlighted areas for improvement.
The Super Eagles started brightly, establishing a two-goal cushion in the first half. An early strike, followed by an own goal from Ghana’s Ebenezer Annette after pressure from Semi Ajayi, put Nigeria in a commanding position. The experienced presence of Ajayi and Wilfred Ndidi provided a solid platform in the initial stages.
However, after the break, Ghana emerged on the other side. The introduction of their debutant winger, Caleb Yirenkyi, caused Nigeria significant problems, and the Super Eagles found themselves increasingly on the back foot.
Concern grew as Ghana pulled a goal back through Brandon Thomas-Asante, exposing some vulnerabilities in the Nigerian setup.
The Nigerian coaching staff turned to their experienced bench, bringing on Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, and captain Ahmed Musa to steady the ship. While Iheanacho had a goal correctly chalked off for offside, the trio’s introduction did bring a measure of calm and helped Nigeria manage the game’s closing stages, albeit under considerable pressure.
The Super Eagles ultimately held on for the win, a testament to their resilience and ability to secure results even when not at their fluent best. The victory maintains their bragging rights in this fierce West African rivalry and, crucially, offers a chance to lift the Unity Cup.
Looking ahead to the final, Nigeria will need to address the second-half lapse in concentration and ensure they can maintain control for the full 90 minutes against what will undoubtedly be strong opposition. While celebrating the passage to the final, the focus will quickly shift to producing a more complete performance when silverware is on the line.
