A pivotal own-goal by Opa Sanganté secured Nigeria’s advancement to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in a hard-fought 1-0 triumph against Guinea Bissau, who were aiming for their first-ever victory in the tournament.
Ft in Abidjan. Guinea Bissau 0-1 Nigeria #SoarSuperEagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/9Mb5SAFkX6
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 22, 2024
Despite being already eliminated, Guinea-Bissau, known as the Djurtus, exhibited remarkable resilience, preventing Victor Osimhen and the Nigerian squad from making any breakthroughs in the early stages. The Djurtus even posed a threat themselves but suffered a setback when Sanganté accidentally redirected a clearance into his own net, giving Nigeria an unexpected lead. With a spot in the knockout stages on the line, José Peseiro’s team entered halftime with a comfortable one-goal advantage, and Osimhen narrowly missed an opportunity to extend the lead with a header just before the break.
The second half witnessed a back-and-forth battle, with both teams aggressively pursuing scoring opportunities. Nigeria believed they had doubled their lead, but a handball call during the buildup negated Osimhen’s apparent tap-in goal. Despite Osimhen missing another crucial header, Nigeria clung to their one-goal lead, while Guinea-Bissau harbored hopes of salvaging at least a draw.
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The tension escalated as both teams had goals disallowed – Franculino for offside for Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria facing a similar fate. In the end, the Super Eagles secured victory in their 100th AFCON appearance, solidifying a second-place finish in Group A behind leaders Equatorial Guinea. On the other hand, Guinea-Bissau exited the competition without a win for the fourth consecutive time, marking a streak of 12 winless games.
Nigeria’s triumph sets the stage for their journey into the AFCON knockout stages, while Guinea-Bissau faces disappointment in their quest for a maiden tournament win. The Djurtus, despite their spirited performance, bow out of the competition with a challenging record of 12 consecutive games without a victory.
