The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured their place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau. The lone goal, an own goal by Opa Sangante in the first half, proved decisive in the Group A encounter.
The crucial moment came in the 36th minute when Sangante turned a Moses Simon cross into his own net while under pressure from Victor Osimhen. The result places Nigeria in second position in Group A with seven points, trailing Equatorial Guinea, who secured a 4-0 victory over Ivory Coast.
Nigeria’s journey to the knockout stage saw them draw 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea in their opening match and secure a 1-0 win against Ivory Coast with a William Troost-Ekong penalty.
Jose Peseiro’s team will now prepare for a last-16 clash on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium against the runners-up in Group C, which includes strong contenders such as Senegal, Guinea, or Cameroon.
Despite the victory, Nigeria faced moments of frustration in the second half. Both Osimhen and substitute Zaidu Sanusi had goals disallowed for offside, while Calvin Bassey’s penalty appeal was turned down, and Ola Aina missed a clear chance by blasting the ball over.
Guinea-Bissau, already eliminated before the match, had a goal ruled out for offside. The defeat concludes their AFCON campaign with three losses. Despite being shock winners against Nigeria in qualifying last March, Guinea-Bissau has yet to secure a victory in 12 attempts across four appearances in the Cup of Nations.
