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Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi (R) gestures next to Nigeria's forward #9 Victor Osimhen during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A football match between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 22, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Guinea-Bissau 0-1 Nigeria: Super Eagles edge past gutsy Djurtus

(AFP) – A first-half own-goal by Opa Sanganté helped Nigeria book their seat at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout stages with a challenging 1-0 victory against a spirited Guinea-Bissau side seeking their maiden win at the tournament.

Having never lost all three games in the AFCON group stages, the already-eliminated Djurtus mounted an impressive resistance to thwart Victor Osimhen and his compatriots, even looking more menacing in the early stages against the three-time AFCON winners.

However, Guinea-Bissau were rocked when Sanganté blasted an attempted clearance against his own goalkeeper, handing Nigeria a fortunate lead. With qualification to the knockout stages at stake, José Peseiro’s men looked comfortable with their one-goal lead heading into the break, with Victor Osimhen coming close to a second goal with a missed header in first-half stoppage time.

An end-to-end encounter ensued after the restart, with both teams having a go at each other at every given opportunity. Before long, Nigeria thought they had doubled their lead, only for referee Bouchra Karboubi to signal handball in the build-up, denying Osimhen a tap-in.

It perhaps wasn’t the SSC Napoli marksman’s day, as he once again spurned a priceless header from point-blank range 12 minutes from FT, giving Baciro Candé’s men some hope of claiming at least a draw.

And without delay, the Djurtus were on the cusp of major celebrations when Franculino was denied a goal due to an offside flag before the same fate welcomed Nigeria at the other end.

The tense drama continued until the end, with the Super Eagles ultimately claiming a victory in their 100th AFCON appearance to confirm a second-placed finish behind Group A leaders Equatorial Guinea. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau exit the competition without a win for the fourth time in succession – a streak of 12 winless games.

STATISTICS

MAN OF THE MATCH

FINAL GROUP A STANDING

AFCON 2023 Group A

PosTeamPWDLFAGDPts
132109367
232103127
3310225-33
4300327-50

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