Nigeria Secure Afcon Last 16 Place In Spite of Late Carthage Eagles Comeback
Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen helped Nigeria establish a 3-0 advantage, but the Super Eagles were compelled to hold on for a narrow win.
Nigeria weathered a stunning late rally from Tunisia to advance to the knockout stage of the Afcon tournament being held in Morocco.
The Super Eagles seemed to be cruising in their pool clash in Fes, holding a 3-0 cushion with just a quarter of an hour left thanks to strikes from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.
Yet, a Tunisian defender pulled one back with a close-range finish from a Manchester United midfielder free-kick, sparking hopes of a recovery.
The drama intensified when Tunisia were given a spot-kick after a VAR review spotted a handling offense by the Nigerian defender. Ali Abdi converted in the dying stages to set up a nail-biting conclusion.
The Carthage Eagles were inches away from a last-gasp equalizer in added time, with captain Ferjani Sassi directing a opportunity just past the post before a substitute guided a half-volley past the goal frame.
Securing First Place
The victory ensures that Nigeria, champions of the tournament on 3 past instances, advance to six group points and are guaranteed first place in their pool with one game left to be contested.
In the next round, they will face a third-placed side from either the other preliminary groups.
Meanwhile, Tunisia stay on 3 points, with the East African teams locked on one point after playing out a 1-1 stalemate earlier on Saturday.
The concluding group fixtures will see Nigeria remain in the city to take on Uganda on the next matchday, while Tunisia travel back to the capital to face the Taifa Stars.
An Anxious Conclusion
The Tunisian defender drilled the ball from 12 yards to offer his team a glimmer of hope of earning a point.
The Super Eagles, runners-up in the previous tournament, become the next team after Egypt to qualify for the next phase, but their manager and supporters will certainly be breathing a sigh of relief.
What seemed set to be a comfortable last period morphed into a nerve-wracking affair.
The prolific striker had a goal disallowed for an infringement before breaking the deadlock right before the interval, expertly guiding a header into the far post from an Ademola Lookman cross.
The lead was doubled soon in the second half when the Leicester City midfielder climbed above everyone to power home a header from a set-piece kick.
The number 9 then turned provider his teammate for the third goal, only for the defender to direct a header past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to initiate the comeback.
The pivotal moment came when a high ball hit the forearm of the full-back, with the official pointing to the spot after reviewing the VAR monitor.
Despite Ali Abdi's confident conversion, Tunisia in the end fell short of completing a remarkable recovery.
Tunisia's destiny remains in their own hands; a draw against Tunisia will be enough to secure progression, and their coach will be eager to prevent a repeat of the 2013 early elimination that led to his departure.
