Nigeria secured their place in the Round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against a resilient Guinea-Bissau side.
The decisive moment came in the first half when Opa Sanganté, in an unfortunate turn of events, scored an own-goal, gifting Nigeria the lead.
The Djurtus, already eliminated but determined to secure their first win at the tournament, put up a spirited resistance against the three-time AFCON winners.
Despite Guinea-Bissau’s commendable efforts, the own-goal proved to be the difference maker. Nigeria, under the guidance of coach José Peseiro, managed to maintain their one-goal lead heading into halftime.
Victor Osimhen, a key figure for the Super Eagles, had opportunities to extend the lead, but a missed header in first-half stoppage time and denied chances in the second half kept the scoreline close.
The second half unfolded as an intense, end-to-end battle, with both teams seeking opportunities to alter the scoreline.
Nigeria celebrated what they believed to be a second goal, only for the referee to rule it out for a handball in the build-up. Osimhen’s missed chances kept Guinea-Bissau hopeful, but the Djurtus couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.
In the end, Nigeria’s victory in their 100th AFCON appearance secured them a second-placed finish in Group A, behind leaders Equatorial Guinea.
Guinea-Bissau, on the other hand, exits the competition without a win for the fourth consecutive time, marking a streak of 12 winless games in the AFCON.
