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AFCON 2023: Super Eagles Beat Guinea-Bissau, Qualify For Round Of 16
At the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Super Eagles defeated Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the final game of a Group A tie to advance to the round of 16.
After defeating the host Ivory Coast thanks to a brilliant penalty kick from captain William Troost-Ekong, Jose Peseiro's team entered the game with much-needed confidence.
With Alhassan Yusuf still out due to injury, the Portuguese started with Joe Aribo in place of Everton's Alex Iwobi and Kenneth Omeruo captaining the Nigerian team in lieu of Ekong.
In their fourth game of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, Guinea-Bissau defeated their opponents 1-0 at the MKO Abiola Stadium after a fierce battle, and they were hoping for a repeat.
However, as early as the fifth minute of the game, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen made his intentions clear. Unfortunately, the opposition custodian was hardly bothered by his miss as it missed the mark.
The Wild Dogs remained calm and steadily advanced in the game while Nito attempted to score from a distance, despite early pressure from the Super Eagles. It would be easy for Stanley Nwabali to save, though.
For Nigeria to advance, they would only need a point, but Guinea-Bissau was determined to keep them from having that chance, seizing the majority of the possession in the initial trading.
The Nigerian defence was tested briefly by the Wild Dogs, as Dalcio Gomes came dangerously close to beating Omeruo with an overhead pass.
Opa Sangante, who was attempting to stop Osimhen, who was waiting behind him for a tap-in, gave Nigeria a fortunate break in the 37th minute when he smashed Moses Simon's cross into his net.
In the closing moments of the first half, Osimhen would have had a chance to double Nigeria's lead, but he was unable to quite connect with Simon's cross.
When play resumed in the second half, Simon squandered a fantastic opportunity to double the score when Mendes extended his arm to grab the ball.
Osimhen thought he had scored in the 62nd minute of play, but the VAR would later declare him offside.
Peseiro made some substitutions, substituting Alex Iwobi for Joe Aribo in an attempt to score a second goal. When Simon crossed the ball invitingly, the substitute was right in the thick of things, but his shot went wide at the edge of the box.
Equatorial Guinea crushed hosts Cote D'Ivoire 4-0, and Nigeria finished second in Group A with seven points. Due to their superior goal differential, the Central Africans won the match.
Guinea-Bissau, who had already been eliminated prior to this match and finished with three losses, had Franculino Dju's goal disallowed at the other end.
They were shocking winners in their March qualifying match against Nigeria, but despite their four Cup of Nations appearances, they have yet to win a game in their twelve attempts.
The team will now remain in Abidjan for a match against the runners-up in Group C, Senegal, Guinea, or Cameroon, on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.