By Balogun Tumininu
The Nigerian national team, Super Eagles, secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Libya in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Saturday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
The win takes Nigeria to seven points from three games in Group D, solidifying their position atop the standings.
Libya adopted a defensive strategy, aiming for a draw, and successfully contained the Super Eagles for most of the match. However, Nigeria’s persistence paid off in the 86th minute when substitute Fisayo Dele-Bashiru converted Moses Simon’s cross, sending the crowd into jubilation.
The decisive goal marked a turning point in the game, which had seen Nigeria’s poor finishing and a contentious offside call deny Ademola Lookman a potential goal.
Interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen praised his team’s resilience, saying, “We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the players showed great character.”
The two teams will face off again on Tuesday in Benina for matchday four of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.