A Paul Onuachu 93rd minute header gave Nigeria a largely deserved 1-0 win over hosts Benin on Saturday evening to add gloss to the Super Eagles’ qualification story, reports www.aclsports.com
Gernot Rohr’s men sealed qualification for Africa’s showpiece football event even before the first kick of the ball on Saturday after Lesotho played 0-0 with Sierra Leone in Maseru on Saturday afternoon.
After denying the Eagles for most of the encounter, Benin goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe once again denied Victor Osimhen when Samuel Chukwueze’s corner fell to the striker but Onuachu, a second half substitute, approached the rebound with every purpose left in his flailing Samson to head home.
FT: Benin 0-1 Nigeria
— ACLSports (@acl_sports) March 27, 2021
Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Paul Onuachu rises highest inside the box to head home a heart-wrenching goal for the Beninese. Big goal for the big man.
Means that Benin's qualification will be delayed until the final day. #BENNGA #ACLSportsCFWInBenin
The goal threw daggers into the hearts of Beninese fans whose team would have joined Nigeria’s Super Eagles in next January’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) had the game ended in a stalemate.
The Squirrels lose for the first time at home since June 2013 and will now have their hopes of qualification hanging on a final game of the campaign away to Sierra Leone on Saturday.
More later…
