Former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju has expressed satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ hard-fought 2–1 victory over Madagascar in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The hosts suffered an early scare when Madagascar capitalized on a swift transition to beat goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and silence the home crowd. However, Nigeria responded before the interval when debutant George Ilenikhena netted in stoppage time to level the score.
After the restart, captain Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi elevated the tempo, driving the team’s dominance from midfield. Second-half substitute Moses Usor capped off the pressure with a brilliant solo effort to seal all three points for the Super Eagles. Reacting after the full-time whistle, Adepoju in a chat with Completesports.com, emphasized that securing the maximum points was the primary objective despite the early setback.
“It’s a good way to start the qualifier with a victory, not minding that we conceded first. The most important thing is that the team won against Madagascar. I am delighted that we have so many options that can play for the Super Eagles and that’s a very good development.” Looking ahead to the upcoming fixture against Guinea-Bissau, Adepoju noted that selection choices remain in the hands of the technical crew.
“It is left for the coach to know who he wants to start… He knows the composition of the team right from the beginning and will definitely know who to start.”