AFCON2023: Top 3 numbers behind Alhassan Yusuf's Super Eagles debut

Super Eagles new boy Alhassan Yusuf made an instant impression on his Nigeria debut - and the numbers prove his impact. 

The rising star put in a powerhouse midfield display in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in the AFCON2023 opener on Sunday. 

Nigeria’s quest for a fourth AFCON title suffered a slight setback after dropping two points in their opener against Equatorial Guinea.

But it was not all gloom and doom following a few positive takeaways from the encounter.

Despite the stuttering and disappointing start, 23-year-old Yusuf emerged as one of the few positives from Nigeria’s performance. 

Yusuf was a late call-up to the Super Eagles AFCON2023 squad as a replacement for the injured Wilfred Ndidi.

However, his performance against Equatorial Guinea has left Nigerians with more questions for Jose Peseiro than he would have answers for.

The Royal Antwerp man, on the occasion of his debut, proved to be the main presence in Nigeria’s otherwise dull midfield as covered every blade of the grass during his time on the pitch.

His day came to a forced end after he gave Nigerians a scare when he was forced off with an injury in the 69th minute.

With a debut to remember, here are the impressive numbers behind the midfielder’s performance against the National Thunder per Sofascore and Fotmob. 

As stated earlier, Yusuf was a massive presence for Nigeria on the pitch and despite the fact he was forced off with an injury, he won the most duels in the game.

No Equatorial Guinea player was able to beat the Super Eagles youngster one-on-one while he was on the pitch. 

He was not dribbled past once, winning three tackles and one interception. 

While he has been nicknamed the Kante regen, a glowing tribute and comparison to Chelsea legend N’Golo Kante, Yusuf proved there is more to his game.

Nigeria created six big chances in the game, with Yusuf responsible for one of them. 

He created one chance, a big one, made one key pass and completed two of two attempted crosses in the game.