In a match that secured their place in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau. The Super Eagles, who finished second in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea, knew that a draw would be enough to progress to the last-16. However, they managed to secure all three points in a routine victory.
The Nigerian team started the game a bit slowly, but they managed to take a slender lead into halftime. Moses Simon delivered a cross into the goalmouth, and with Victor Osimhen waiting to tap it in at the back post, Opa Sangante unintentionally directed the ball into his own net.
The second half was more open, with both teams having opportunities to score. Osimhen came close to finding the back of the net on multiple occasions. He had a goal disallowed for handball after scoring from close range and also missed a header from six yards out when he was unmarked.
Guinea-Bissau pushed for a late equalizer, and Franculino found the net, only to be denied by the offside flag. Nigeria’s Zaidu Sanusi also had a moment of celebration cut short when his goal was ruled out for offside shortly after. Despite not finding a second goal, Nigeria secured the victory and their place in the next round. They finished second in Group A and will now face either Senegal, Guinea, or Cameroon in the last-16.
Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau can take pride in their commendable performance throughout the tournament, despite suffering three consecutive defeats. Their quest for a historic AFCON victory continues