Super Eagles Qualify for Round of 16, Cote d’Ivoire on Brink of Elimination 

Nigeria secured their place in the last 16 with a 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau. The Super Eagles claimed the win courtesy of an Opa Sangante own goal in the first half, securing second place in Group A with seven points.

Equatorial Guinea topped the group on goal difference after a dominant 4-0 triumph over Ivory Coast.

The decisive moment in Nigeria’s match came in the 36th minute when Sangante turned a Moses Simon cross into his net, attempting to thwart Victor Osimhen’s lurking presence. The result ensures Nigeria’s progression to the knockout stage, where they will face the runners-up from Group C – Senegal, Guinea, or Cameroon – in a last-16 clash on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

While Nigeria’s dominance had been somewhat sterile before the own goal, they missed opportunities to extend their lead in the second half. Osimhen and substitute Zaidu Sanusi both had goals disallowed for offside, and Calvin Bassey had a penalty appeal turned down.

In the parallel Group A match, tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, leaving them on the brink of elimination from the tournament. Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue scored a double, building on his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau, as they finished atop the group.

The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire now face an anxious wait to see if they qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams after enduring their heaviest-ever home defeat in front of a capacity crowd at the Alassane Outtara stadium in Abidjan. 

Equatorial Guinea took a surprise lead just before half-time as Carlos Akapo set up Nsue to slot the ball into the bottom corner. 

Despite Cote d’Ivoire’s efforts, including missed opportunities and an equaliser ruled out by VAR, Equatorial Guinea sealed the historic victory with goals from Pablo Ganet and Jannick Buyla.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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