Former Nigerian international Dimeji Lawal has praised the Super Eagles following their impressive 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Debutant Femi Azeez stole the spotlight at The Valley in London, scoring both goals to send Nigeria into the final of the invitational tournament in style.
The Millwall winger opened the scoring with a composed finish in the first half before adding a second later in the game to complete a dream debut for the three-time African champions. His outstanding display has further strengthened his growing reputation after an impressive campaign in the English Championship.
Azeez’s performance also provided another major positive for Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle, who handed opportunities to several new players during the tournament as part of his rebuilding process.
Reacting to the result, Lawal expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance and commended the coaching crew for building healthy competition within the squad.
“I am really impressed with the Super Eagles’ victory over Zimbabwe despite not fielding some of the key players,” Lawal told Completesports.com.
“It’s a performance that every coach will be happy with, especially keeping a clean sheet. The last time we played Zimbabwe, both legs ended 1-1.
“So for me, the rebuilding process has started going by the two goals scored from Azeez.”
The former international also believes the emergence of players like Azeez gives Nigeria stronger squad depth ahead of future competitions, with several fringe players using the Unity Cup to stake their claim for regular places in the national team.
Nigeria will now shift focus to the Unity Cup final, where the Super Eagles will face the winner of the second semi-final between India and Jamaica.