Nigeria took a significant stride towards securing a spot in the last 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a pivotal 1-0 victory over hosts Ivory Coast in Group A.
The defining moment unfolded in the 55th minute when Ousmane Diomande fouled Victor Osimhen in the box, leading to a penalty. William Troost-Ekong seized the opportunity, converting confidently from the spot.
Despite the spirited support from the home crowd, Ivory Coast found it challenging to create clear chances against the resilient Super Eagles defense.
Following this result, Nigeria now occupies the second position in Group A, trailing leaders Equatorial Guinea based on head-to-head record. The Ivorian team, with three points after two games, faces the imperative task of defeating Equatorial Guinea in their next match on Monday (17:00 GMT) to ensure progression to the knockout stage.
On the other hand, Nigeria, with four points, may already have done enough to secure advancement, and they will face Guinea-Bissau (17:00 GMT) in their final Group A fixture.
The newly-constructed Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, hosting its fourth Nations Cup game, presented concerns for club managers observing multi-million pound players participating in a contest held on a dry pitch that frequently cut up.
Victor Osimhen had an early opportunity in the eighth minute, latching onto a pass from Samuel Chukwueze, but the Napoli forward failed to keep a bouncing ball down, sending his effort high over the bar.
Shortly after, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made a crucial point-blank save from Christian Kouame, displaying agility off his line. Despite a fast start, the pace dwindled in the first half.
The deadlock was eventually broken early in the second period, with VAR intervention. Diomande’s challenge on Osimhen led to a late foul, prompting a review by Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal. Troost-Ekong assumed the penalty duties, exhibiting power over placement to beat Yahia Fofana.
The tournament hosts, Ivory Coast, struggled to mount a comeback, with Seko Fofana and Franck Kessie missing the target with their efforts. Evan Ndicka’s header from a free-kick also went wide.
This defeat marked Ivory Coast’s first-ever loss against Nigeria on home soil, making them the first host nation to lose an AFCON group game in 18 fixtures dating back to 2012.
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