A dominant Mali display ensured the Eagles ran away with a 2-0 victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria. El Bilal Toure scored in the 18th minute to hand the Malians the lead before Kamory Doumbia scored in the 87th minute to hand Mali a sweet victory over Nigeria at the Stade de Marrakech, Morocco.
The Super Eagles led by Finidi George were seeking another win after defeating the Black Stars of Ghana last Friday, but that was not to be.
Nigeria started the game with great gusto, exerting their authority on their opponents, popping the ball around, and making Mali do plenty running.
However, they failed to score to put the game beyond the Eagles during their best moments with their attacking play fizzling out after 10 minutes, and as a result, they got punished in a dramatic fashion.
After the interval, the Super Eagles were forced to huff and puff from the opening whistle in order to break down a seriously stubborn Malian defence.
Despite their persistent efforts, the Malians remained resilient and refused to yield and got the second goal through Doumbia.
This was Mali's first victory over the Nigerians since September 1975 when they had defeated the Super Eagles 4-1.
How the Super Eagles lined up
Finidi made four changes to the lineup that defeated Ghana, with Jamilu Collins, Raphael Onyedika, Kenneth Omeruo and Moses Simon replacing Bruno Onyemaechi, Frank Onyeka, Benjamin Tanimu and Cyriel Dessers respectively.
The Super Eagles' interim boss opted to maintain the 3-5-2 formation adopted in the previous game, which proved particularly effective, especially during the first half.
From the backline, Stanley Nwabali started in goal, while Semi Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo, and Chidozie Awaziem formed the central defensive trio.
In midfield, Wilfred Ndidi, who captained the side anchored the midfield, supported by Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika.
Up front, Kelechi Iheanacho retained his position despite his inefficiency in the previous match and was complemented by FC Nantes forward Moses Simon, who started from the bench against Ghana.
Moses Simon and Raphael Onyedika were replaced by Cyriel Dessers and Ademola Lookman.
Next Super Eagles manager has got some work to do
It would be fair to say that Finidi George will not have been all that impressed with what he saw from his boys on Tuesday, especially in the first half.
A lot of sideways and backwards passes, very little movement in attacking zones, a complete crisis of confidence, and aversion to attempting anything remotely risky.
Whether these players are just bad footballers or good ones playing like bad ones, it is unknown, but one thing is clear, the next Super Eagles manager must get them playing at a higher level than they did on Tuesday if he wants to compete for laurels.
If they are unable to adapt and develop, there is only one response: replace them.
