By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-01-18 21:40:17
William Troost-Ekong’s scoring of a second-half penalty secured a 1-0 victory for Nigeria over host nation Ivory Coast, injecting life into their Africa Cup of Nations campaign. The pressure was on the “Super Eagles” to secure a win after drawing their first game against Equatorial Guinea and it looks almost certain that they will advance to the knockout stage.
Coach José Peseiro’s team demonstrated defensive stability, ending a six-game streak of conceding at least one goal. Despite earning the penalty that led to the win, star player Victor Osimhen delivered a frustrating performance. Referee Mustapha Ghorbal awarded the penalty after consulting video replays and determining that Ousmane Diomande had fouled Osimhen. Troost-Ekong confidently fired the penalty into the center of the goal in the 55th minute.
Osimhen missed an early scoring opportunity, shooting high and wide after being played through by Samuel Chukwueze. While the home team had more possession, Nigeria edged the number of efforts at goal in the first half.
The Alassane Ouattara Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000, was filled to capacity for the match. Organizers reported that all tickets were sold out. The opening games had experienced ticketing issues. Fans were cautioned to “stay away from the sun” due to temperatures above 30 degrees C (86 F) and 75% humidity. Abidjan was abuzz with enthusiastic fans before the match, many wearing the team’s distinctive orange jersey, blowing their horns, and waving the country’s flag.
Ivory Coast now sits in third place in Group A with three points, one behind Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. The top two teams in each group are guaranteed to progress. Ivory Coast faces Equatorial Guinea next, while Nigeria will play against Guinea-Bissau in their final group game.
In another match, Emilio Nsue scored a hat trick as Equatorial Guinea defeated Guinea-Bissau 4-2, taking a significant step towards the knockout stage. Nsue, 34 years old, became the oldest player to score a hat trick in the tournament’s history and the first in 16 years. Despite Guinea Bissau scoring a consolation goal, Equatorial Guinea secured the win and handed Guinea-Bissau their 11th straight winless game in the Africa Cup. Later, Ghana and Egypt played at Abidjan’s Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium. Both teams were under pressure after failing to win their opening games.
