Femi Azeez enjoyed a dream international debut on Tuesday night, scoring a sensational brace to guide the Super Eagles to a 2-0 victory over the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the semi-finals of the Unity Cup.
The clinical performance booked Nigeria’s spot in Saturday’s highly anticipated final at The Valley, where they will face either India or Jamaica.
Fast Start for the New Boy
Nigeria wasted no time asserting their dominance, and it took just six minutes for Azeez to introduce himself to the Super Eagles faithful.
Set up beautifully by Terem Moffi, the debutant unleashed a superb, curling strike from well outside the box, leaving the Zimbabwean goalkeeper with absolutely no chance.
The Super Eagles completely dictating the tempo of the first half. The midfield engine room choked out Zimbabwe’s creative outlets, limiting the Warriors to a handful of half-chances. Nigeria easily could have gone into the break three or four goals ahead, but Philip Otele, Alhassan Yusuf, and Moffi all uncharacteristically squandered clear-cut opportunities to double the cushion.
Defending the Storm & Sealing the Win
Predictably, Zimbabwe refused to go down without a fight. The Warriors turned up the heat in the second half, seizing control of possession and asking serious questions of the Nigerian backline. However, the Super Eagles’ defense stood resolute under heavy pressure.
Just as the game began to look tense, Azeez struck again to completely take the wind out of Zimbabwe’s sails.
Two minutes after the hour mark, Philip Otele turned provider, carving open the Warriors’ defense with a brilliant pass. Azeez timed his run perfectly, showing veteran composure to slot the ball home from inside the box and secure his second of the night.
Zimbabwe threw everything forward in the final stages, and they nearly found a lifeline 20 minutes from time. However, goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo pulled off a world-class, acrobatic save to deny the Warriors a way back into the contest and preserve his clean sheet.
With the 2-0 victory secured, Nigeria now awaits the winner of the India vs. Jamaica semifinal. If Tuesday night was any indication, the Super Eagles may have just uncovered their next attacking superstar in Femi Azeez.
