Nigeria defeated Niger Republic 2-0 in Tuesday's international friendly played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Goals from Ahmed Musa and substitute Moses Simon were all the Super Eagles needed to get back to winning ways - as well as hand coach Sunday Oliseh his first victory in charge of the Super Eagles.
Oliseh’s team, with a lot of changes from Saturday's Afcon qualifier against Tanzania, was the better side throughout in Port Harcourt, and had the first attempt of the game in the second minute but Musa’s effort was blocked by Utmanu Ganiyu after the CSKA Moscow man's blistering run into the Nigerien backline.
Not too long afterwards, the visitors made their first real surge up front but Mohammed Samaila could not catch up with Mohammed Cisse's long pass on the left of the Super Eagles rear.
Musa put Nigeria ahead from the penalty spot in the 12th minute as Anthony Ujah was brought down in the Mena penalty area by Issiakou Koudize after the striker had twisted past his marker following a set up by Rabiu Ibrahim.
Goalkeeper Daouda Kassali got a finger to Musa's kick from the penalty spot but it was not strong enough to stop the shot from sailing into net.
Sylvester Igbonu nearly doubled his side's lead with a dangerous shot that saw the Niger goalkeeper pull off a sublime save to keep his side in the game, though the Eagles got a corner kick as consolation.
The Eagles should have gone two goals ahead when Usman Mohammed played in Ujah, whose long range shot was parried away by Kassali. Kafi Dan Kwae eventually gathered the loose ball and his goal-bound effort was hacked off the goal-line.
After a low-key start to proceedings, Niger Republic grew in confidence and began to threaten. Mohammed Wonkoye produced a moment of magic that almost leveled scores for his team in the 28th minute. The strong forward was a rare shining light in the attack of his team that hardly threatened goalkeeper Carl Ikeme who had a quiet game.
Three minutes into the second half, Nigeria won a free kick after Igbonu got clattered into by Saimaila on the right flank. Rabiu Ibrahim's nicely floated cross into the Mena box got to the head of Omeruo but the header went wide of the goal.
Substitute Simon effectively put the match to bed with less than five minutes to the end. The winger got on to the end of a badly cleared ball by defender Kafi Dan Kwae and in between two tacklers shot straight to the top of the goal past Kassali to increase the Eagles lead.
Francois Zahoui’s men kept on pushing for a consolation goal, but struggled to contain Oliseh’s men as referee Daniel Laryea brought the entertaining encounter to a close.
Having gotten their self-belief back, the Super Eagles would hope that their next gathering in October would be a lot better.
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