Super Eagles 3-1 Tanzania: Player ratings – Arokodare, Usor shine, Lookman struggles

Nigeria’s Super Eagles claimed a brilliant 3-1 win over the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in their third game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers on Friday.

The game was expected to be an easy one for the three-time African champions. And indeed, it looked like that after Alhassan Yusuf scored the opener in the second minute. But the Tanzanians equalized in the 32nd minute, courtesy of Alphonce Msanga.

However, coach Eric Chelle made some substitutions at halftime, replacing Tochukwu Nnadi and Alhassan Yusuf with Tolu Arokodare and Moses Usor. Those players eventually made the difference, as Arokodare scored twice in the second half to seal the 3-1 win for the Super Eagles.

In this article, Afrik-Foot assesses the performances of the players who were in action for Nigeria against Tanzania on the night.

Super Eagles Player Ratings vs Tanzania

Stanley Nwabali 6.5/10: Nwabali had a decent game for Nigeria, but he actually did not have a lot to do. The goal he conceded was not his fault, as there was precious little he could do after the backline was exposed.

Calvin Bassey 6.8/10: Bassey had a decent outing for the Super Eagles, but his defending, was questionable at times. Although he was not entirely at fault for Tanzania’s first goal, he could have done better.

Also, there was a defensive blunder that he made late in the game, but thankfully, the Taifa Stars could not capitalize.

Benjamin Fredrick 6.7/10: The Brentford star had a decent game on his return to the Super Eagles starting lineup. Fredrick was solid and had a fine connection with Bassey.

They could have done better for the goal that Tanzania scored though, but he was reassuring on the night and never shied away from helping the attack.

Ola Aina 6.8/10: Aina, just like the rest of the backline, did not have a lot of defending to do. But his work rate on the night was good, and was solid in the one-on-one situations. However, he did not offer much in the final third, perhaps that was because he started at left-back instead of his usual right-back.

Abdullahi Bewene 6.9/10: Bewene made his competitive debut for the Super Eagles today, and he looked very good. He spent a lot of time in the Tanzanians’ half, supporting the attack. In the first half, he did not have much of an impact, but it got better after Usor entered the game. His defending was also brilliant. Good work!

Wilfred Ndidi 7/10: Nigeria’s captain caused the first goal that they conceded. He was dispossessed in the midfield, leaving the Tanzanians to pounce. But away from that, he did a good job. He supplied the assist for Arokodare’s goal that made it 2-1. His marking, and distribution was very good.

Alhassan Yusuf 7/10: The US-based midfielder scored the opening goal of the game after just two minutes, but he failed to impress much. He saw a lot of the ball, but he failed to get the ball into dangerous areas.

His work rate was decent though, as he did a lot of running and always made himself available. But aside from his goal, he was ineffective in the final third.

Great work from Akor Adams to win the ball high up on the pitch. What a finish from Alhassan Yusuf! A striker’s finish. https://t.co/nCge7sj8lM

— Kelvin OO (@KelvinOma_) November 13, 2026

Tochukwu Nnadi 6.4/10: Nnadi also had a decent showing for the Super Eagles, but he was ineffective.

Naturally, he is known as a creative player, but in a game where Nigeria were going to dominate the play, he was expected to do more in the final third. However, he did not offer much in the final third. He was taken off at halftime as coach Chelle decided to go out guns blazing.

Alex Iwobi 7/10: Iwobi had a good game for the Super Eagles. His passing was very good as usual, and he was always looking for the forward pass. The Fulham man was positive as always.

Ademola Lookman 6.8/10: The Atletico Madrid star had the assist for Nigeria’s first goal, as he laid the ball off to Alhassan Yusuf for the first goal. However, he was mostly silent for the 42 minutes he was on the pitch. He had a big chance midway into the first half, but his effort was blocked. Overall, Lookman did not live up to his previous lofty heights.

Akor Adams 6.8/10: The Venezia star failed to score on the night, despite playing the entire 90 minutes. Credit to him though, it was his hardwork that led to Nigeria winning possession in the final third for the first goal.

He also pressed well and put in a solid shift to help the team. But most times he had the ball in the final third, he always tried to get a shot off a bit too fast. If he was more relaxed, he might have gotten a goal or assist.

Substitutes

Tolu Arokodare 8.7/10: it was a surprise when coach Chelle released his team sheet and the in-form striker was on the bench. Chelle later corrected his mistake though, as he subbed in Arokodare at halftime.

The Ajax man delivered! Arokodare was simply on fire. Everytime he had the ball, he looked very dangerous. Of course, he changed the game for Nigeria, scoring the second and third goals for Nigeria.

A backheel? Oh, you beauty! Tolu Arokodare! 😮‍💨🇳🇬 #TotalEnergiesAFCONQ2027 https://t.co/5LShs1j2Ku

— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 13, 2026

He could have even gotten a hattrick if not for the brilliance of the goalkeeper. In Osimhen’s absence, Arokodare showed that he can shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals for the Super Eagles.

Moses Usor: 7.3/10: The LASK man changed the complexion of the game. His entrance made Nigeria look more dangerous in the final third. He was always looking to run at defenders, and it was clear that the Tanzanians struggled to keep him at bay.

He had a chance late in the game, when he left two defenders for dead, but instead of passing to Iwobi, who was in a good position, he opted to shoot, making it easy for the goalkeeper to gather.

Moses Simon 6.8/10: Simon also did well, his presence on the left flank caused problems for the Taifa Stars. He always looked positive on the ball. But typical Moses, his final balls were questionable.