Super Eagles beat Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the last match of a Group A tie in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to qualify for the round of 16.
Jose Peseiro’s men went into the match with much-needed confidence after beating host Ivory Coast courtesy of a well-taken penalty from skipper William Troost-Ekong
The Portuguese fielded a lineup that saw Kenneth Omeruo coming in for Ekong to captain the Nigerian side as well as Joe Aribo replacing Everton’s Alex Iwobi, while Alhassan Yusuf was still sidelined with an injury.
Despite early pressure from the Super Eagles, the Wild Dogs kept their composure and grew into the match as Nito tried his luck from a distance. But Stanley Nwabali would make a comfortable save.
The Wild Dogs gave the Nigerian defence some trouble as Dalcio Gomes was not far away from getting on the end of an overhead ball that beat Omeruo.
However, Nigeria got a fortuitous break in the 37th minute as Opa Sangante smashed Moses Simon’s cross into his net while trying to stop Osimhen waiting behind him for a tap-in.
Nigeria finished runners-up in Group A with seven points after Equatorial Guinea bashed hosts Cote D’Ivoire 4-0. The Central Africans topped the lot on better goal difference.
The team will now stay in Abidjan for a last-16 tie on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium against the runners-up in Group C, which will be Senegal, Guinea or Cameroon.
