Nigeria vs Liberia summary: score, goals, highlights, 2022 World Cup qualifying
Nigeria vs Liberia
That's the end of our coverage from Lagos tonight and we look forward to seeing you again next week for Cape Verde-Nigeria.
The whistle sound in Lagos and Nigeria go top of group C with a solid 2-0 win
Kelechi Ịheanachọ very much the hero of the night for Nigeria with his double. The Leicester man along with other England and Scotland based players will not travel to Cape Verde given the UK's covid travel restrictions.
Live group table
Nigeria top with three points.
Dweh carded for a rash challenge
We'll have 4 minutes of added time
Dweh rises well but just heads wide. A late goal now for the visitors would certainly add some spice and tension to the final minutes of action here in Lagos.
We will also bring you live minute by minute coverage of the Cape Verde-Nigeria game next Tuesday.
Time running out for Liberia and it's been a solid and professional display from Nigeria who will turn their thoughts immediately to the trip to face Cape Verde.
Shehu Abdullahi and Ahmed Musa (his 99th cap) on for Nigeria with Kelechi Ịheanachọ and Iwobi making way
Shehu Abdullahi and Musa poised to enter the action for Nigeria.
Liberia have looked good at the back with the side well organised, their weak area is going forward with the team lacking composure and the quality to convert their advances forward.
More Liberia changes: MacAuely off and Tweh his replacement
Final minutes of the game as Kamara tries a spectaculat over head effort.
Changes for Nigeria as Onuachu and Kalu come on with Osimhen and Simon making way
Wilson on for Sherman (Liberia change)
15' remain in Lagos and despite a brief resurgence from Liberia in the past few minutes, Nigeria look commanding with the 2-0 lead
Nigeria set to make some changes with Paul Onuachu and Samuel Kalu set to enter the fray
Macauely swings in a cross with the ball almost sneaking into the near post, once again Maduka Okoye was alert for Nigeria and saves the day. Better in the past few minutes from the visitors.
Iwobi picks up the ball some 25 yards from goal but his effort is high and wide.
Best chance of the night for Liberia and Kamara goes close with a shot trying to beat Maduka Okoye at his near post
Osimhen almost finds the target but the Liberia keeper makes a good save once again.
Simon delivers the corner and Osihmen's header is gathered by Williams. A third goal for the Super Eagles looking the most likely with Liberia somewhat toothless in attack this evening.
Soumaoro carded by the Togolese official.
As we approach the hour mark, Nigeria looking comfortable with any Liberia threat evaporating as the game has worn on. Maduka Okoye still yet to pull off a save with an hour of action gone.
Tisdell off with Kamara his replacement. (Liberia change)
Changes afoot for both sides as the delegates give the FIFA officials the nesecary paperwork.
Terrible error from Williams as they give the ball away, Iwobi in an offside position to save the blushes of the Linense keeper.
Williams gathers again and it's been a decent performance from the young Liberia stopper. The Lone Stars yet to really make any in-roads into the Nigeria half with 8 minutes of action in the second half.
Total domination now from Nigeria as once again a dangerous ball swung in from the right side causes problems for the Liberia keeper Williams.
We've seen little from Kosiah and Sherman and Tisdell both faded as the first half wore on for Liberia.
Liberia desperatley need an early goal here should they want to try and secure a foothold back in this game.
Nigeria go close as the Liberia keeper is out of position, Ineacho heads over with the keeper away from the sticks.
Off we go in Lagos and the home side start the action
The teams return to the pitch and a winning start for Nigeria is the perfect tonic for the 'Super Eagles' ahead of the game away to Cape Verde in Mindelo.
The whistle sound in Lagos and it's two goals from Ineacho that divide the sides and despite the odd flurry from Liberia, Nigeria do look comfortable
2 minutes of time will be added on.
Gooooooool Iheanacho scores again with a great finish on the turn. That's the cushion that Nigeria would have wanted as the Leicester man controls with one foot and finishes with the other.
We're well into the final five minutes of action and Nigeria will want to get this second goal to offer Rohr's side a cushion as Njie is the first player carded tonight.
The ball falls to Osimhen and the Napoli striker misses a sitter after Williams spilled the ball. Good news for the striker is that the flag was up and the effort would not have counted.
Liberia all too often looking for the long ball and hoping that the pace of Tisdell or Sherman can latch onto the ball. A futile tactic so far for Butler's men.
Sherman wins a freekick for Liberia in a dangerous area and can pose a threat from dead ball situations. Tisdell to swing the ball in. Balde and Sherman go for the ball and the header from the striker drifts wide.
Maduka Okoye still a virtual spectator for Nigeria with Liberia just mustering one shot on target during the first 34 minutes of action.
Liberia with 11 men back on the pitch after MacAuley briefly needed attention on the sideline.
Good work from Simon and Nigeria win a free kick as MacAuley handles. Long way from goal and Iheanacho strikes, the ball takes a deflection and Nigeria win another corner kick.
Nigeria fired up by the goal with the Kelechi Iheanacho strike easing any early nerves as Liberia were battling well.
Liberia free kick and Tisdell shots on goal but easy for the Nigeria stopper
Nigeria dominate in possession now as we hit the 20 minute mark
Good work from Osimhen and Aribo but the Rangers man failing to get decent purchase on the shot. Aribo fresh from the 'Old Firm' last weekend for Gers over eternal rivals Celtic.
Plenty of noise being generated by the lucky 5,000 supporters who have been allowed to attend the game in Lagos tonight. Principally home fans but there are some 'Lone Stars' fans here too
Good work from Liberia's Tisdell as he pulls the ball in from his left flank. Nigeria whack the ball away for a corner.
Volley from Ola Aina as the Torino man pulls the ball well wide of Williams' goal.
Slavia's Oscar Murphy Dorley certainly looks like the brightest player for the 'Lone Stars' with the bulk of the side playing in the Liberian leagues or lower ranking European football
First corner of the night for Nigeria as Simon's shot takes a deflection
Little for Maduka Okoye to do so far as Liberia break but the flag was up as Dorley broke.
Osimhen is already looking lively this evening for Nigeria. The Liberian rear guard will need to be alert in marshaling the Napoli striker and the main scoring outlet for the Super Eagles.
The playing surface at the Teslim Balogun has seen better days and looks a little bare in areas of the playing surface. Nigeria enjoying the better of the early possession as both sides look to stamp early authority on proceedings.
We're all set in Lagos, Liberia start the game and are looking to deliver a shock against the fancied 'Super Eagles'
Kick-off just moments away now as captain's Nije (Liberia) and Watford's William Troost-Ekong pose for the pre-game pic with the Togolese match official.
Those Naja x Nike track tops !!!!!!
An overcast evening in Lagos as the teams take to the field. 5,000 fans in attendance tonight at the Teslim Balogun Stadium as the national anthems are played.
Liberia set to wear blue and white hoops tonight as the players wait in the tunnel. Nigeria in their classic green and white shirts. The Super Eagles aiming for a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance with Liberia never making it to a finals.
... a better representation of the Liberia XI (positional wise) from African football expert Nuhu Adams
Plenty of 'Lone Star' fans at the Surulere stadium tonight hoping for a shock win over the Super Eagles
Tonight's game is going ahead at a ground named after former player and coach Tesilimi Olawale Ayinde "Teslim" Balogun who played at both professional and international levels as a striker, before becoming Africa's first qualified professional football coach. The striker played in England with QPR in the 50s before returning to his native Nigeria.
Mssing for Rohr tonight is LaLiga player Samu Chukwueze with the Villarreal man still recovering from injury in last season's Europa League semi-final
Mssing for Rohr tonight is LaLiga player Samu Chukwueze with the Villarreal man still recovering from injury in last season's Europa League semi-final
This is the Liberia squad that coach Peter Butler has called up to face Nigeria tonight and CAR next week. Two players in action from RB Linense and Spain and the highest profile player in Slavia Prague's Murphy Dorley
Liberia are without a win against Nigeria since their 2-1 victory in a World Cup qualifier in Monrovia in 2000....over twenty years ago !
Lone Star boss Butler undaunted
Today's game will provide a tough test for Liberia with English coach. Speaking ahead of the game, the Lone Star head coach claimed: “Forget the past records and look at the current performance of our opponents. They are good, but Liberia can put up a stronger challenge against Nigeria. I’m not looking back to 2012, that’s history and we have learned from it....We have come here to be positive, bold and attack-minded.”
Nigeria will look to the goals of Osimhen today with the Napoli striker fighting fit again after recent injury problems.
Togolese match official
FIFA has appointed Togolese official, Kouassi Attisso Attiogbe as the referee for next Friday’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match between Nigeria and Liberia scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Today's game is the first of two compressed fixtures for the Super Eagles with the Liberia match being followed by a stern test against Cape Verde next Tuesday.
Due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions, just 5,000 fans will be permitted to attend the stadium in Lagos with the Teslim Balogun Stadium holding a 24,000 capacity.
The action gets underway at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos with a 17:00 kick-off in Nigeria, that's 18:00 CEST/12:00 ET start.
Hello and a very warm welcome to our live coverage as Nigeria face Liberia in the first group C game for both nations.