The Super Eagles of Nigeria Saturday evening trounced their Libyan counterparts 4 goals to nothing with Odion Ighalo grabbing a hat-trick in their race to 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Nigerian side which managed to score a goal in the first half of the match via Ighalo’s spot-kick went on rampage in the second half ate the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Odion Ighalo wrote his name in gold after scoring three goals, his first hat-trick in the Nigerian colours, before Samuel Kalu scored a beautiful goal to wrap up the game.
The match began straightaway in favour of the Super Eagle as Libyan goalkeeper Mohamed Abdaula fouled Ighalo, who was making his way to scoring, two minutes into the match. The FC Changchun Yatai striker stepped up to convert the awarded penalty, giving Nigeria a very early lead.
Ighalo sought for another penalty in the ninth minute when he fell inside the penalty area of the Libyans after a slight contact with the goalkeeper, but referee Jean-Jacques Ndala waves aside all appeals.
The Super Eagles missed many goalscoring chances, leading to the end of the first, and waited for thirteen minutes in the second, before getting their second goal. Alex Iwobi delivered a pass to Ighalo who maintained his composure to dibble the goalkeeper and score his second goal for Nigeria.
Ighalo completed his hat-trick ten minutes later in a goalmouth scrabbling after a cross from Ahmed Musa.
With two minutes to the end of the match, Samuel Kalu got a pass from Henry Onyekuru who had just missed an opportunity to score, and he curled a shot outside the 18-yard box past Libyan shot-stopper, Mohamed Abdaula.
Libya now sitting third in the group with four points will host Nigeria on Tuesday in Sfax, Tunisia.
Nigeria now occupies second place with six points in the group E qualifiers after three matches, a point behind South Africa who also on Saturday walloped Seychelles 6 goals to nothing.
