AFCON : Nigeria records crucial win over host, Cote d’Ivoire

The Super Eagles put up one of their best performances in recent time as they defeated the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in their second game at the ongoing AFCON finals.
It was a William Troost-Ekong’s second-half penalty that handed the Jose Peseiro tutored side the narrow victory over the host nation ; a first defeat for the Elephants in nine matches and a result that threw Group A open with one match to go.

The match was the first competitive meeting in over a decade between the two football giants.
Both teams left no one in doubt that they meant business and within 60 seconds of one another, at one end of the field Victor Osimhen broke free of the hosts’ back line before skying his first attempt at goal.
Then rushing towards the opposite goal, Stanley Nwabili was forced to turn Christian Kouamé’s close-range effort around the post, sparing team-mate Zaidu Sanusi’s blushes for his mistake.

The Elephants knew that a win would ensure their progression to the knockout stages, whilst the Super Eagles desperately required three points to keep their qualification hopes in their own hands.
That is why as the first half unfolded, both nations became fearful of conceding the opening goal.
More effort was put into the defensive aspect of the game, with opposing strikers Jean-Philippe Krasso and Osimhen becoming increasingly isolated and subsequently frustrated, so it was no surprise the match remained deadlocked heading into half time.

Ultimately, it was Nigeria’s patience that paid dividends as they were presented with the golden chance to move in front from a penalty 10 minutes into the second half. Osimhen had initially gone down under a challenge from Ousmane Diomande. Unexpectedly, the man who won the spotkick, the 2023 African Footballer of the Year did not play it.

This sucked the life out of the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara, whose dominant orange army of supporters had grown accustomed to watching their national team win, the last four of which had been by multi-goal margins. That now wasn’t the aim as Coach Jean-Louis Gasset turned to his bench for reinforcements, though none of his substitutes were able to impact proceedings with any intensity as they went the entire second half without a shot on target.

The win puts the Super Eagles second in Group A same points as leaders Equitorial Guinea who earlier defeated Guinea Bissau 4-2.

Cote D’Ivoire on their part will need to beat Equitorial Guinea in their last Group match while Nigeria will need a draw against bottom-placed Guinea Bissau to reach the Round of 16.

Nigeria will take on Guinea Bissau in their final Group Stage match on Monday by 6pm. Same time the Cote D’Ivoire will battle Equitorial Guinea