By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have retained the Unity Cup after a commanding 3-0 victory over Jamaica in Saturday’s final at the Valley Stadium in London.
Alhassan Yusuf scored twice, while Terem Moffi also got on the scoresheet as Nigeria secured a second consecutive title in the revived competition.
The Super Eagles made a fast start, going ahead in the third minute after Yusuf capitalised on a goalkeeping error to score from close range following a defensive mix-up by Jamaica.
Nigeria maintained control and doubled their lead early in the second half when Femi Azeez delivered a precise cross for Moffi to head into an empty net.
Yusuf then sealed the win with a composed finish from a counterattack, completing his brace and putting the result beyond doubt.
The victory marked another milestone for head coach Eric Chelle, whose rotated squad impressed throughout the tournament and boosted competition for places in the national team.
It also reinforced Nigeria’s dominance in the Unity Cup, having previously won the tournament in 2002, 2004, and the last edition staged after its revival.
Despite the clash with the UEFA Champions League final, the match drew a solid turnout in London as Nigeria extended their strong record in the invitational competition.
Chelle said the tournament was used to assess squad depth and build team cohesion ahead of future international fixtures.
He confirmed that Nigeria’s upcoming friendlies against Poland and Portugal would be played without key forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman due to fitness, transfer and workload concerns, as well as visa challenges affecting some squad members.
The coach, however, insisted the team would approach the matches competitively despite the setbacks.
