“The combination of Ahmed Musa, Victor Moses and Uche Nwafor can rout any team.”
These were the words of Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, Women, James Peters, who was so impressed with the trio’s performance when the Super Eagles beat South Africa 2-0 at the Moses Mahbila Stadium in Durban on Wednesday.
Speaking with Pilot Sports in Abuja, Peters noted that the introduction of the three players in the second half totally changed the tempo of the game and made an outstanding difference.
He said that the pace of Ahmed Musa, Victor Moses was too much for the players of the Bafana Bafana to cope.
“Moses and Musa’s combination and their pace was just what made the difference in that match. Their impact in the match was immediate and they created the two goals” he enthused.
Dutch-based striker Nwafor, playing only his second international, scored an audacious back heel goal to give Nigeria the lead in the 49th minute and Peters said he was particularly impressed with the stlye which the goal was scored.
“Though, I believe that we should look at him in the next two matches before we can conclude that he has come to take over the top striking position of the Super Eagles. But his two strikes were great and to me I think he is a better striker than Brown Ideye.
“I would have faulted him for backing the goal post in the eighteen yard box during the buildup of the first goal but the way he eventually scored the goal through a back heel was great. And the second goal was also classic. The way he ran into the cross shows that he is a natural goal scorer. But like I said let us still observe him in the next two matches before we can conclude” he said.
Moses and Russian-based Musa were brought on at the start of the second half to inject more pace into the Super Eagles attack and team handler, Steohen Keshi said it was deliberate.
“I knew the South Africans were planning on them starting so I kept them for an impact in the second half,” coach Stephen Keshi told reporters.
It was a sixth loss in eight outings for Bafana Bafana against the African champions, whose next assignment is a key World Cup qualifier against Malawi next month.
Nigeria needs only a draw on September 7 at home in Calabar to win their group and qualify for the final round of African qualifiers of the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
