Nigeria 0-2 Mali: 3 mistakes interim coach Finidi made in the Battle of the Eagles

Nigeria's 2-0 defeat to Mali in their final game of the international window exposed some tactical shortcomings from interim Super Eagles boss Finidi George. 

Here are three decisions the former Ajax and Real Betis superstar winger got wrong against their West African brothers.

Finidi's decision to leave out a target man and start with Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho as a 'false nine' pairing backfired. 

The duo lacked a physical presence to hold the ball and bring others into play. Simon squandered a glorious chance to equalise for Nigeria’s Super Eagles before being forced off injured. 

Using at least one out-and-out striker, with Umar Sadiq also on the bench but ignored for both matches, would have given Nigeria a focal point in attack.

Audition for the vacant job or not, the Enyimba coach was overly conservative with his substitutions - making just two outfield changes all game. 

Finidi missed an opportunity to experiment more and give untested players a chance to impress.

With so many European stars absent, these games were the ideal time to hand valuable experience to fringe members of the squad. Finidi played it too safe on this occasion.

Nigeria's normally intense pressing was notably lacking in the first half especially, which allowed Mali to play out from the back with ease. 

The Super Eagles struggled to disrupt their opponents' rhythm and this allowed the Eagles of Mali to cause problems.

The front players needed to provide more support to the midfield in implementing a high press. As a result, Mali could pick secure passes into the Nigerian half too comfortably.

While the 2-0 scoreline flattered Mali given the defensive errors, Finidi will need to learn quickly from this experience if he wants to land the permanent Super Eagles job. Getting the basics right from the start will be crucial going forward.