Germany 2-0 Nigeria: Player ratings

The dream is finally over for the Dream Team, after losing 2-0 to Germany in the semifinal of the Rio Olympics. It was a rather poor performance by the Nigerians, probably their worst of the tournament.
Here, we take a look at how the players fared in the game.

Emmanuel Daniel: Ironically, despite the huge Germany pressure and possession, they didn’t really directly threaten Nigeria’s goal and as a result, he didn’t have too much to do. Had a couple of saves however, to keep the score respectable. 6
Shehu Abdullahi: Like the majority of the players, he barely contributed much to the team as they went down to the Germans. 4
Sincere Seth: It was one of his better performances at the Games despite not being top class. He however made some timely interventions and tackles. 5
William Ekong: The better of the center-halves on the night, as he made several timely tackles and interventions to keep the score respectable. 6
Stanley Amuzie: That awful free-kick sums up his night. Offered very little going forward and lacked the needed defensive solidity. 3
Ndifreke Effiong Udo: One has to wonder how he made the squad to Brazil. Offered absolutely nothing and picked a senseless yellow card before being hooked. He played at right back against Colombia and was dreadful and in midfield today, he was simply awful and looked lost. He gets no rating.
Usman Mohammed: Whatever happened to him. It was obvious the suspended Okechukwu Azubuike has been the main man in midfield. Poor outing for such a highly-rated player. 3
John Obi Mikel: Showed glimpses of brilliance and should have at least scored once. Azubuike’s absence really exposed and isolated him, but still one of the better performers. 6
Aminu Umar: Another player who looks like he has no business being in the team. Besides the goal he scored against Denmark, he has offered absolutely nothing to the team. 3
Sadiq Umar: Another one who looked lost. While he has a lot of promise, his languid and sluggish style meant he couldn’t offer much to a team that needed pace and precision upfront. 4
Imoh Ezekiel: He was saddled with too much defensive duties, but was possessed the biggest threat of the three attackers on the pitch. Imagine how well he would have played if Etebo were present. 5
Substitutes
Junior Ajayi: He looked rusty which wasn’t surprising, considering he has only just returned from injury, but still looked more dangerous that the ineffective Aminu Umar. 4
Saliu Popoola: The dimunitive midfielder held his own to a good extent, despite being the smallest player on the pitch. There was however very little he could do given how poor the team was. 4