Madagascar were beaten 2–1 by Nigeria in the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, played in Uyo on Friday.
The match began with Kari Eshan giving Madagascar an early advantage, but Nigeria’s debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scored twice to secure the win for the Super Eagles.
After the game, head coach Corentin Martins said his side had performed well in the first half but were physically exhausted in the second half.
“We played a game with Nigeria with good players. We also want to be tactical,” Martins told reporters. “We were good with the ball in the first half; we went with the ball well, and in the second half, we were physically tired.”
He added that the team “made some moves to win the game, but we were not consistent throughout the game,” citing fatigue as the main reason for the loss.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
