By Ikemefuna Asika
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Thursday qualified for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations finals after playing a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The game played under driving rain inside the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium, produced a number of interesting moments, but the biggest was when Victor Osimhen’s 81st minute header sailed past Benin Republic goalkeeper, Marcel Dandjinou for the equalizer and secured Nigeria’s first place in the group.
Osimhen’s goal, in which he profited from a pinpoint cross from Moses Simon, restored parity on the night after Mohamed Tijani’s goal for the Cheetahs in the 16th minute.
It was Osimhen’s 23rd for the Super Eagles.
The match which could be described as a game of two halves, with the Cheetahs keeping possession and running rings round the Super Eagles for large swathes of the first period. However, Tijani’s header from a cross by the vibrant Junior Olaitan that found the net by going through the legs of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, was against the run of play.
Minutes earlier, Alex Iwobi had miscued when Osimhen headed down the ball for him from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross, and Osimhen himself was foiled by Dandjinou just before the Cheetahs struck at the other end.
Nwabali was alert to punch away as Olaitan broke loose three minutes later, and it was ding-dong until four minutes before the break, when Osimhen should have scored from a brilliant Onyemaechi cross, only to watch the ball roll away from goal after his header.
In the 55th minute, Ademola Lookman and Osimhen caused anxious moments at the Benin Republic rear, but Olaitan also got close after Captain William Ekong and Olaoluwa Aina fumbled with the ball down the line. Onyemaechi, coming forward a lot, saw his shot roll agonizingly away from goal just after the hour, and Osimhen headed wide away in the 74th minute as the Cheetahs began to nurse hopes of a win.
Osimhen had other ideas. His goal sent the Super Eagles to Morocco 2025 as group winners, and ensured the Eagles remain unbeaten in the AFCON qualification campaign going into their last game of the series, against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday.
In the other group D match, Rwanda, with five points from their five games lost unexpected 0-1 at home in Kigali to Libya.
The Super Eagles will take on Rwanda in Uyo on Monday in their last group match while Libya hosts Benin Republic in Tripoli the same day.
“It was a tough game and I congratulate the players for a spirited display in the second half that earned us the equalizer. The downpour made the game difficult for both teams, but I am happy we have the AFCON finals ticket in the bag ahead of the final game of the series against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen said.
