After a scintillating display for Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the just concluded 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey scored a goal apiece for Fulham to defeat hard-fighting Manchester United 2-1 in Sunday’s English Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Just as Iwobi and Bassey were instrumental to Nigeria’s success at AFCON before the Super Eagles lost the final match 1-2 to hosts Cote d’Ivoire, the Nigerians were too hot to handle for Manchester United in the Week 26 encounter.
Defender Bassey began the demolition of the Red Devils when he lashed home the opening goal in the first half. United were ineffective in attack until the final minute of normal time, when Harry Maguire scored an equaliser to rescue a point for the hosts, but Iwobi’s injury-time effort gave Fulham only their second Old Trafford victory since 1963.
Manchester United played without injured striker Rasmus Hojlund, but Rashford, Ganacho and Casimero were in action and couldn’t salvage the day for the Red Devils.
When Maguire pounced in the final minute of normal time, it seemed another might be on the cards. United hardly deserved parity. Other than a first-half Diogo Dalot shot that flicked off the outside of a post, Marcus Rashford’s angled effort that Leno saved and a Maguire header that sailed over the bar, they had done little of any effectiveness around the Fulham box.