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#2 Burundi are not weak underdogs
It was supposed to be a breeze in the park for the men in green. Yet, the Swallows gave the Super Eagles a rather tough time, and Nigeria gaffer Gernot Rohr said as much in a post-match interview:
“It was a very difficult match for us because this team of Burundi is very organised...
“It was not easy, especially very difficult to score the first goal. If the first goal is not coming quickly, you suffer and you have to work hard to score and to win the matches."
The gaffer was quite right. The Eagles started the game with a clear attacking mindset, keeping possession, pressuring Burundi's defence heavily, and looking for an immediate goal. For the first thirty minutes, Nigeria held on to the ball almost totally.
However, as the half neared to a close, the Burundi team seemed to pick up some determination and make better use of their opportunities with the ball. By the 70th minute, Burundi was keeping the ball better, finding channels through the midfield, and creating chances in front of goal. In the last 10 minutes of the game, Burundi kept 60% of the possession and maintained strong pressure on the Nigerian defence, forcing Eagles keeper Akpeyi to mishandle a cross late in the game.
Burundi may not even pass the group stage in this AFCON edition, but it would be detrimental to the other teams in Group B to go into a match against these underdogs without strong determination.
#3 Ola Aina is an absolute gem of a player
The former Chelsea starlet has been a revelation for Gernot Rohr, especially after a strong man-of-the-match performance against Burundi. He covered attack and defence in a Marcelo-type manner and single-handedly gave Nigeria a reason to celebrate.
Defensively, he made the most interceptions for Nigeria, alongside 4 clearances and 2 tackles. In the attack, Aina got 98 touches, 18 more than any other person on the entire field, and drove his team forward on the left wing. Apart from that, he contributed with 2 key passes, 4 crosses, and an 85% pass accuracy.
He was eventually rewarded with a world-class assist that he backheeled into the path of Ighalo who masterfully placed it past the keeper and into the net. Based on today's game and Aina's recent form, Rohr has almost certainly found a permanent player for the position of left-back in the national squad.
