Moses Simon marked his 100th appearance for Nigeria, but debutants George Ilhenikena and Moses Usor stole the show as the Super Eagles came from behind to defeat Madagascar 2-1 in their opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in Uyo.
Nigeria were looking to put the disappointment of their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign behind them after failing to win any of their opening four matches. However, they were given an early scare when Madagascar took the lead against the run of play inside the opening quarter of an hour.
A short corner was delivered into the Nigeria penalty area, and Kari Eshan timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap before guiding his header beyond Stanley Nwabali.
The goal stunned the Super Eagles, who had dominated possession and created opportunities before falling behind.
Nigeria thought they had restored parity when Alex Iwobi pounced on a loose ball after Madagascar goalkeeper Geordan Dupire failed to hold it. However, the goal was ruled out after Akor Adams was adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper.
The Super Eagles continued to press for an equaliser, but their attacking approach also left spaces at the back which Madagascar repeatedly attempted to exploit.
Nigeria eventually got their reward late in the first half when Ilhenikena, making his first start on his international debut, levelled the score.
The forward latched onto a deep pass from Iwobi, held off Jean-Pierre Morgan and calmly slipped the ball past Dupire to make it 1-1.
Madagascar almost restored their advantage after the interval when Rayan Raveloson took advantage of Nigeria’s high defensive line and found himself one-on-one with Nwabali.
The Chippa United goalkeeper, however, stood his ground, waited for the forward to make his move and produced an important save to keep Nigeria level.
Usor completes Nigeria’s comeback
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle made a series of changes as the second half progressed in search of the winning goal.
One of those substitutions proved decisive.
Moses Usor, introduced for Samuel Chukwueze, produced a moment of individual brilliance to put Nigeria ahead.
The LASK forward took on two Madagascar defenders out wide, skipped past both players and unleashed a powerful effort that flew past Dupire.
Nigeria had opportunities to extend their lead, with fellow substitute Tolu Arokodare hitting the upright. Dupire also produced an excellent save from a corner-kick situation as Madagascar attempted to stay in the contest.
The Super Eagles ultimately held on to secure all three points, although the performance highlighted areas that Chelle will need to address as the qualifying campaign progresses.
Debutants make their mark
Chelle continued his habit of handing opportunities to new players as he rebuilds the Super Eagles.
Despite having the more experienced Arokodare available, the coach opted to start Ilhenikena, and the youngster justified the decision with an energetic display before scoring Nigeria’s equaliser.
When Chelle turned to his substitutes, he again trusted a debutant despite having more experienced options available on the bench.
Usor responded by scoring the winning goal just minutes after entering the pitch.
The two debuts take Chelle’s total number of players handed their first Nigeria caps to 32 since he was appointed in January 2025.
Ilhenikena and Usor also join Akor Adams and Femi Azeez as players to score on their Nigeria debuts under Chelle.
They are now part of a select group of Super Eagles players who have found the net on their international debuts.
That list includes Finidi George, Julius Aghahowa, Femi Opabunmi, Obafemi Martins, Stephen Makinwa, Ekigho Ehiosun, Brian Idowu and Joe Aribo, as well as Teslim Balogun, who scored against Sierra Leone in 1949.
Nigeria’s football history has now produced 62 goalscoring debutants, with two more added to the list against Madagascar.
Chelle has been responsible for four of those players.
Nwabali reclaims the No. 1 spot
One of the major questions heading into the match was which version of Stanley Nwabali would emerge after his recent struggles and subsequent six-month break from football.
Against Madagascar, there were glimpses of both versions of the goalkeeper.
Nwabali could arguably have done better for Madagascar’s opening goal after Nigeria’s defensive line failed to deal with the set-piece situation.
The goalkeeper remained rooted to his position and appeared to appeal for an offside decision as Eshan’s header sailed into the net.
Fortunately for Nigeria, that proved to be one of Nwabali’s few lapses.
He produced a crucial intervention in the second half when Madagascar again exposed Nigeria’s high defensive line.
Raveloson broke through and raced towards goal with only Nwabali between him and a potential second goal. The goalkeeper remained composed, tracked the forward’s movement and got a hand to the ball as Raveloson attempted to round him.
It was a crucial save that preserved Nigeria’s advantage.
With Maduka Okoye also competing for the position, the performance could strengthen Nwabali’s claim to retain the Super Eagles’ No. 1 shirt. Okoye’s next opportunity may come when Nigeria face Russia, depending on Chelle’s selection decisions.
Chelle cuts it fine
Nigeria remain unbeaten in competitive matches under Chelle, but the coach came close to seeing that record disappear after an aggressive tactical setup against Madagascar.
Chelle selected a very attack-minded starting XI with limited midfield protection.
The attacking quartet of Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Ilhenikena placed considerable emphasis on Nigeria’s attacking threat, while Iwobi and captain Wilfred Ndidi were left with significant responsibility in midfield.
Ndidi, who was expected to operate as the deepest midfielder, frequently pushed forward, leaving Iwobi to perform more defensive work than usual.
Those rotations created significant spaces in the middle of the pitch, and Madagascar were willing to exploit them whenever they won possession.
Chelle eventually made adjustments, and his substitutions helped Nigeria regain greater control.
Simon, introduced during the second half, provided additional defensive work by tracking back and moving inside to give Nigeria another body in midfield.
The newly crowned centurion also contributed in attack, creating opportunities for his teammates and delivering at least two dangerous crosses. He also came close to scoring himself, only for Dupire to produce an important save.
The tactical changes ultimately helped Nigeria secure the three points, but Chelle will know that his side must become more balanced.
With qualification places at stake, Nigeria cannot afford to repeatedly leave themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks and high-quality chances.
The Super Eagles have made a winning start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, but the victory over Madagascar also provided Chelle with plenty to consider ahead of the next challenge.