Thursday evening in Abidjan saw a mouth-watering AFCON clash between regional rivals Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
With the Super Eagles having stumbled in their opening Group A fixture, only a win would reignite their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.
Against an Ivory Coast side buoyed by victory over Guinea-Bissau, this was set to be a true test of nerve and quality. The atmosphere in the packed stadium added extra spice to this high-stakes showdown. Could Nigeria rise to the occasion and outfox the wily Elephants
Penalty Breakthrough Sends Super Eagles Soaring
The game burst into life just before the hour mark when Ndidi was upended inside the box. Up stepped captain Fantastic Ekong to smash home the penalty and send Nigerian hearts soaring. 1-0 to the Super Eagles!
Ivory Coast laid siege to the Nigerian goal thereafter but found no way past the inspired Maduka Okoye. Wave after wave of orange-shirted attackers were repelled by green defensive wall.
Bassey justified Eguavoen’s faith with a man of the match display, while Ekong was immense alongside Troost-Ekong.
This was gutsy, grown-up stuff from the Super Eagles. Against a top-class Ivorian side in front of a hostile crowd, they showed remarkable composure and determination to close out a famous victory. Noisy Nigerian fans danced in delight at the final whistle. Their team’s AFCON dream lives on!
What This Means for Both Sides ?
The three points lift Nigeria to second spot in Group A, just one behind Ivory Coast. With Equatorial Guinea come in their final match, the Super Eagles are now strong favorites to reach the last 16.
For the Ivorians, top spot is still theirs to lose. But they will likely need at least a point against Equatorial Guinea to be sure of advancing.
Eguavoen and his players will celebrate long into the Abidjan night.
