Africa Cup of Nations 2019: 3 reasons behind Nigeria's 1-0 win against Burundi

#1 Gernot Rohr's astute substitutions did the trick for his Nigeria team

The German tactician made smart substitutions in the second-half

The Nigeria coach surprised a few with the starting lineup he chose by excluding the likes of Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo. Gernot's decision was looking even worse as Onuacho failed to trouble Burundi's back-line.

Alex Iwobi failed to make a mark from the left flank against Burundi who defended in a low block with wingers supporting their full-backs to patrol the wider areas.

John Obi Mikel was installed as a number 10 in Rohr's 4-2-3-1 system and looked clueless for the major part of the game. The former Chelsea man failed to provide urgency in attacks and fell prey to Burundi's offside trap on a regular basis. He supported a few neat passing moves but his unfamiliarity with the role vas clearly visible.

Rohr played a master-stroke by introducing Ahmed Musa in the 61st minute. The former Leicester City attacker used his blistering pace to make runs in behind the defence and Burundi player's tired legs were unable to cope with his intensity. The Saudi Arabia-based winger allowed Iwobi to operate centrally and influence the game.

Odion Ighalo came on for Onuachu in the 73rd minute and scored the winner four minutes later. Aina made a clever backheel pass to the 30-year-old and he obliged after scoring a clinical goal past the Burundi goalkeeper.

The Shanghai Shenhua striker used his muscular stature to hold the ball towards the higher end of the pitch during the game's dying minutes. Rohr used Burundi's fatigue to his advantage and helped his team in accumulating three vital points in its opening fixture.