Nigeria faced Libya on Friday night for the third matchday in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the Super Eagles running out 1-0 winners to continue their unbeaten start to the group.
Nigeria already placed top of the standings heading into the fixture against Libya, having taken four points from their first two fixtures with a 3-0 win against Benin and a 0-0 draw with Rwanda. Their second win of the group has seen them move up to seven points in total after three fixtures, leaving them narrowly ahead of second-placed Benin who now sit on six points.
Match Overview
The match, which Nigeria were major favourites to secure a considerable victory, was far from comfortable for the Super Eagles, with it taking until the 86th minute before Fisayo Dele-Bashiru opened the scoring in what was ultimately the decisive goal.
Nigeria did, however, dominate the match with 63% possession and a massive 15 shots compared to Libya’s two, but they ultimately struggled to capitalise on their chances. Captain William Troost-Ekong missed a golden opportunity when he scooped the ball over the bar from close range in the first half, while Ademola Lookman had a goal ruled out in the final 10 minutes for a controversial offside decision, with replays showing the attacker was clearly onside in the buildup.
Star men
Dele-Bashiru finally broke the deadlock late on in the match when Moses Simon, who was a constant thorn in Libya’s side, delivered into the box, with the Lazio midfielder able to walk onto the cross and convert into the far corner with a half-volleyed effort from the penalty spot.
Regardless, Nigeria will be delighted to have continued their strong start to the AFCON qualifiers with another victory, given their struggles in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers where they sit fifth in the table with just three points from four fixtures.
While the Super Eagles are not yet qualified, another victory from their final three matches would all but confirm their place in the next edition of the illustrious AFCON, while a game against Benin in matchday five could be crucial in the battle for top spot in Group D.
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