NICE ONE : Super Eagles edge Burkina Faso 2-0 in Port Harcourt

Salami was on target for the Eagles. Image: NFF

A goal in each half from Yaro Bature and Gbolahan Salami gave Nigeria a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso in the first leg of their 2016 Chan qualifier in Port Harcourt on Saturday....

Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh named a surprising starting 11 that excluded the quartet of Salami, Chisom Chikatara, Usman Mohammed and Prince Aggreh while Sunshine Stars striker, Tunde Adeniji got the nod to start alongside Ezekiel Bassey and Osas Okoro playing as wide men.

Burkina Faso had a number of their U23s that played in this year’s Africa Games in Congo with the like of Mohammed Bailou, Mohammed Sylla, Emmanuel Gora, Ilasse Sawadogo and Fousseini Beao making the team.

The Eagles dictated play in the opening 15 minutes with Bassey and Okoro pulling the strings from the wide areas and causing the Burkinabes all sorts of problems.

The hosts opened scoring in the 24th minute when Bature fired home with power and precision past Bailou play. The game ebbed and flowed with Bature, Paul Onobi and substitute Chikatara all squandering chances to double Nigeria’s lead.

But Salami netted from 12 yards in the 77th minute to give Nigeria a deserved two-goal lead after Enyimba attacker, Bassey, was upended in the box while making one of his dazzling runs.

Nigeria will defend their two-goal advantage in Ouagadougou next weekend as the winners over both legs will qualify for the 2016 African Nations Championship (Chan) in Rwanda.