Kelechi Iheanacho and Cyriel Dessers are happy with the tactics used by interim coach Finidi George in their victory over rivals Ghana on Friday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Finidi guided the Eagles to a 2-1 victory over the Black Stars at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, marking Nigeria’s first win over Ghana at senior level in 18 years.
Dessers, who returned to the forward position, scored from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, after Ghanaian defender Jerome Opoku touched a shot by Iheanacho.
Opoku was shown a red card in the 57th minute for dissent, leaving the Black Stars with 10 men.
The Eagles increased their lead with six minutes remaining when substitute Ademola Lookman calmly scored past goalkeeper Ati-Zigi and an onrushing defender after a good team move that involved fellow substitute Moses Simon and midfielder Alex Iwobi.
In four minutes of added time, right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel fouled forward Semenyo in the Nigeria box to concede a penalty to the Ghanaians, and captain Jordan Ayew converted from the spot, sending Stanley Nwabali the wrong way.
Following the win, Finidi’s tactics have earned him compliments from some Nigerian players as the Super Eagles under Finidi employed a direct, attacking style of football, which was a significant departure from the defensive football that took Nigeria to the final of the 2023 AFCON, where they finished second.
“He has done a great job in such a short time, and hopefully he will have more chances to prove himself,” Iheanacho said.
Dessers, who scored the first goal under Finidi as Eagles boss, believes that the Enyimba’s style helps them create more opportunities, stating, “He had a clear approach to this game – press aggressively and create more chances in this way, and I think we did that.”
Nigeria will next face Mali in Morocco on Tuesday, providing Finidi with another opportunity to demonstrate his suitability for the Super Eagles job.
