George Ilekhiena and Moses Usor scored on their Super Eagles debuts as Nigeria came from behind to defeat Madagascar 2-1 in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Friday.
The two debutants struck in either half to overturn Madagascar’s early lead and hand coach Eric Chelle a winning start to the qualifying campaign.
Madagascar stunned the Super Eagles in the 16th minute when they took the lead against the run of play, leaving Nigeria with a mountain to climb despite dominating possession and controlling much of the game.
But Ilekhiena restored parity shortly before halftime with a well-taken finish to give Nigeria a much-needed boost going into the break.
The Super Eagles resumed the second half with renewed intensity as they sought the winning goal, but Madagascar defended resolutely and frustrated Nigeria’s attempts to break through.
Chelle eventually introduced Usor, and the forward made an immediate impact.
Usor embarked on an impressive individual run before keeping his composure to beat the Madagascar defence and put Nigeria ahead.
The Barea responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but the Super Eagles held firm in the closing stages to secure all three points.
The victory gives Nigeria a winning start to their Group D campaign ahead of their second qualifying fixture against Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
