The Super Eagles secured their spot in the round of 16 by defeating Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the final Group A match of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Jose Peseiro’s squad entered the game with a much-needed boost in confidence, having defeated the host Ivory Coast thanks to a well-executed penalty by captain Troost Ekong.
The Portuguese coach made strategic changes to the lineup, with Kenneth Omeruo taking over the captaincy from Ekong and Joe Aribo stepping in for Everton’s Alex Iwobi. Unfortunately, Alhassan Yusuf remained sidelined due to injury.
In a hard-fought match on gameweek four of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Guinea-Bissau secured a 1-0 victory and sought to replicate their success.
Osimhen expressed his intentions early in the 5th minute, but his shot missed the target, posing little threat to the opposing goalkeeper. Despite early pressure from the Super Eagles, the Wild Dogs maintained composure and gradually asserted themselves in the match. Nito attempted a long-range shot, but Stanley Nwabali made a comfortable save.
While a draw would have been sufficient for Nigeria to advance, Guinea-Bissau was determined to prevent such an opportunity, aiming to dominate possession.
Guinea-Bissau posed a challenge to the Super Eagles’ defense, with Dalcio Gomes coming close to connecting with an overhead ball that eluded Omeruo.
In the 37th minute, Nigeria received an unexpected advantage when Opa Sangante inadvertently deflected Moses Simon’s cross into his own net, with Osimhen poised for a simple tap-in behind him.
Osimhen had an opportunity to extend Nigeria’s lead later in the first half, but he couldn’t quite make contact with Simon’s cross.
The second half began with Simon squandering a fantastic chance to make it two, as Mendes managed to stretch out an arm and claim the ball.
Osimhen believed he had scored in the 62nd minute, but VAR ruled him offside. Alex Iwobi entered the game for Aribo and actively participated, although he missed the target, causing the ball to go wide.