Nigeria were on Sunday held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in a tight Group A match staged at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Ivan Salvador gave Equatorial Guinea the lead in the 36th minute after sending a low shot past a stunned Stanley Nwabili in goal for the Super Eagles from the penalty spot.
However, the lead only lasted two minutes after Napoli star striker Victor Osimhen rose at the back post to powerfully head home Ademola Lookman’s deliciously floated delivery.
Nigeria, eager to secure their 15th successive entry into the AFCON knockout stages, started the second half with high energy.
Equatorial Guinea’s goalkeeper, Jesús Owono, was put to the test but successfully thwarted one-on-one attempts from Sanusi and Osimhen, preventing Nigeria from scoring. Owono’s impressive performance continued, notably with a skillful save against Ola Aina’s strike in the last 20 minutes of the game.
As the match approached its end, Nigeria was under pressure to escape an unexpected and embarrassing draw.
The focus was on Napoli’s Osimhen to turn the tide for his team. Yet, in a moment of high expectation, his attempt to score missed the mark, sending the ball just outside the post and squandering a critical chance for Nigeria.
The draw hands Equatorial Guinea their first-ever point against Nigeria in an international tournament.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will surely want to bounce back against hosts Ivory Coast on Thursday – with the Elephants already sitting atop of Group A after beating Guinea Bissau on Saturday.
