Sierra Leone skipper Steven Caulker claims the Leone Stars failed to meet the Super Eagles' challenge at some point during their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday.

Jonathan Morsay nodded home Musa Kamara's wonderful cross from the right on 11 minutes, giving John Keister's side a shock lead.

The Super Eagles, on the other hand, responded, with Everton winger Alex Iwobi equalizing five minutes later and Victor Osimhen scoring the game-winning goal four minutes before halftime.

Despite producing several clear-cut scoring opportunities after the break, the hosts were unable to extend their lead.

Caulker acknowledged Nigeria's dominance in the game, but said that several of his colleagues were intimidated by the Super Eagles' big reputations.

"We're a young group." The team is made up of a number of young people. "We're building for the future," Caulker remarked after the game during his postgame press conference.

"Obviously, we showed too much respect to Nigeria, and they scored two excellent goals against us." They have a team with a lot of talented players.

"We made a lot of mistakes," he admitted, "and we'll surely address them in future games."

On Monday, the Leone Stars will play Guinea-Bissau in a qualifier at the General Lasana Conte Stadium in Conakry.