Nigeria vs DR Congo: Nwabali heroics insufficient, Ndidi flops — Super Eagles Player Ratings

The Super Eagles will not be at the 2026 World Cup, as they lost the CAF playoff final to DR Congo on penalties after the game deadlocked at 1-1.

Pulse Sports scored the performance of each player from the match:

Stanley Nwabali had a lacklustre performance in regular and extra time. He struggled with his ball distribution and was poor with his high claims. 

However, he was heroic during the penalty shootouts, saving two attempts, but it was not enough to save Nigeria’s ambitions.

Benjamin Fredrick had a shocking performance. He started at right-back, with Semi Ajayi coming into the team at centre-back.

The Brentford loanee was uncharacteristically careless on the ball. Defensively, he was shaky. Fredrick was beaten on multiple occasions and nearly caused a penalty.

Semi Ajayi’s inclusion in the starting line-up was controversial, as it meant Frederick was pushed to right-back after having an excellent performance at centre-back in the semi-final against Gabon. 

However, he justified the selection to some extent with his dominance of aerial duels. Ajayi did not cover himself in glory for the goal Nigeria conceded and missed one of the penalties during the shootout. 

Calvin Bassey was the bad omen of the penalty shootout, starting Nigeria off with a terrible miss from the spot. During the match proper, he was way out of position for Congo’s equaliser.

Zaidu Sanusi was decent offensively, specifically in his ball carrying. However, his deliveries into the box left a lot to be desired. 

Defensively, he covered adequately and had a handful of clearances. However, in 1v1 defending, his opposite number had him beat. 

Wilfred Ndidi was excellent against Gabon in the semi-final. During the final against DR Congo, however, he was terrible.

 The Besiktas man was directly responsible for Congo's equaliser, was anonymous at the base of midfield, which directly meant Nigeria struggled to control the game, and failed to step up to take a penalty ahead of the likes of Bassey and Semi Ajayi.

Alex Iwobi was mediocre during his time on the pitch. His passing was inaccurate; he failed in his duty to link the midfield to the attack, and he was eventually yanked off when Eric Chelle changed the shape to a 4-4-2.

Frank Onyeka started with a bang, scoring the Super Eagles' opener early in the game. However, he was anonymous from that point on. Nigeria struggled in possession, and Onyeka's limitations on the ball were a direct factor.

Samuel Chukwueze could have stayed back in the dressing room, and it would not have changed the direction or result of the match. He was anonymous and was eventually hooked before the hour mark. 

Ademola Lookman continues to disappoint, stringing poor performances together. He was ineffective in the game and was eventually replaced before the hour mark. 

Victor Osimhen had an ineffective half on the pitch before he was replaced at halftime on suspicion of an injury. He barely touched the ball and was bullied by Congo's physical defenders during his 45 minutes in the game.