Nigeria bowed 2-0 to DR Congo in an international friendly played at the Stade de la Cité de l’Oie, Visé on Thursday evening.
Goals from Dieumerci Mbokani and Jordan Nkololo were all the Leopards needed to cage the Eagles who put up a lackadaisical display in the absence of their inspirational skipper and goal tender, Vincent Enyeama, who was forced to quit international football.
Mbokani turned home Nkolo’s pass after the Super Eagles was breeched with goalkeeper trying in vain to rescue the ball from sailing across the goal line.
Sunday Oliseh’s men reacted quickly well to conceding so early and should have levelled on three occasions as Ahmed Musa and Mikel Obi both missed good chances.
Mikel fired two shots straight at Parfait Mandanda and Musa failed to react to a Odion Ighalo’s pass that had evaded a host of players inside the penalty area.
Florent Ibengé’s side controlled the majority of the half with neat passing and fluid movement, and their efforts resulted to another goal when Nkololo fired past Ikeme having profited from another moment of carelessness from the Eagles’ backline.
Odion Ighalo– who had been quiet in the first half – went close to getting his second international strike with Nigeria’s best sight of goal. His effort was waved away by Mandanda who had earlier thumped away Ogenyi Onazi’s freekick after Mikel Obi was fouled near the goal area of the Congolese.
Oliseh made a host of changes to the side in the second half, especially handing Alex Iwobi his debut appearance but that did not help matter as the Leopards dominated every department of the game.
Nigeria face Cameroon on Sunday as they would be seeking for redemption after an awful display in Vise.
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