Super Eagles edge past Guinea-Bissau 1-0 to seal last-16 place

Super Eagles edge past Guinea-Bissau 1-0 to seal last-16 place

Nigeria booked their passage into the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after a first-half own goal from Guinea-Bissau’s Opa Sangante handed them a 1-0 victory on Monday, which was enough to earn them second place in Group A.

Moses Simon sent in a low cross from the left looking for Victor Osimhen but as Sangante attempted to clear ahead of the striker he could only steer the ball into the roof of his own net after 36 minutes.

Nigeria finished on seven points from three games, behind Equatorial Guinea on goal difference.

Hosts Ivory Coast face an anxious wait to see if they will advance as one of the best third-place finishers with three points and a minus three goal difference.

Earlier Ivory Coast slipped to the brink of a humiliating exit from the Africa Cup of Nations as the hosts suffered a 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A game in Abidjan.

Meanwhile Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi has come to the defense of Riyad Mahrez following his star player’s disappointing performances so far at the Africa Cup of Nations, urging critics not to “kill him too soon”.

“I don’t want anyone to forget what Riyad is capable of,” Belmadi told reporters in the Ivorian city of Bouake ahead of today’s decisive final group game between Algeria and Mauritania.

Mahrez starred as Algeria won the Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019 but has made little impression in their two matches so far at this edition in Ivory Coast, in draws against Angola and Burkina Faso.

“I agree, it’s a fact that these have not been his best matches with Algeria, but don’t kill him too soon,” said Belmadi, pointing out that last season Mahrez was a UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester City.