Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen scored for Nigeria to help them force Benin to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria returned to action with a game against Benin in their penultimate game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Super Eagles were on ten points and needed just a point to seal their place at the AFCON.
Coach Augustine Eguavoen named a strong lineup for the fixture, with in-form stars Ademola Lookman, Osimhen, and Ola Aina all starting.
The Super Eagles were favourites to claim the win, and they dominated the game from the start. However, they lacked cutting edge in the final third as they failed to create clear-cut chances. Then they allowed Benin to get into the game after taking their feet off the pedal.
Nigeria paid for their sloppiness, as Benin used a well-planned routine to play a corner. Junior Olaitan swung in a cross, and Benin capitalized on Nigeria’s defence line that went to sleep. Mohamed Tijani scored for Gernot Rohr’s Cheetas, as Stanley Nwabali fumbled the shot, letting it trickle into the net.
After scoring, Benin sat back, waiting for Nigeria to attack and leave the backline exposed and vulnerable to a counter. That tactic almost yielded fruits, as they had a few chances but failed to take them.
Although the side with more quality, the Super Eagles looked quite shabby, with some of the top players like Troost-Ekong, Lookman, and Ola Aina performing poorly.
Nigeria had to wait until the 81st minute before they got their breakthrough, and it was through Osimhen. The former Napoli man rose highest to meet Moses Simon’s cross into the box and converted with class to make it 1-1.
The game eventually ended 1-1 at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Nonetheless, the result was enough to seal. Nigeria’s place at the 2025 AFCON.