Nigeria Secure Afcon Knockout Spot In Spite of Late Tunisia Comeback
Former African Footballer of the Year the Napoli star was instrumental in Nigeria build a 3-0 advantage, but they were forced to defend resolutely for a hard-fought win.
Nigeria survived a dramatic late rally from their opponents to progress to the knockout stage of the Afcon tournament being held in the host nation.
The Super Eagles seemed to be cruising in their Group C clash in the Moroccan city, enjoying a three-goal cushion with only 17 minutes remaining courtesy of strikes from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.
Yet, Montassar Talbi pulled one back with a close-range finish from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick, sparking hopes of a turnaround.
The tension intensified when Tunisia were given a spot-kick after a VAR review spotted a handball by the Nigerian defender. Ali Abdi converted in the 87th minute to create a frantic conclusion.
The Carthage Eagles were inches away from a last-gasp equalizer in added time, with their skipper heading a opportunity narrowly wide before Ismael Gharbi sent a half-volley wide of the goal frame.
Clinching Top Spot
The victory means that the Super Eagles, winners of the tournament on three previous occasions, advance to 6 group points and are guaranteed top spot in their pool with one game still to play.
In the next round, they will meet a best third-place side from either the other preliminary groups.
In the other match, Tunisia remain on three group points, with the East African teams locked on one point after playing out a one-all draw earlier on Saturday.
The final pool fixtures will see the group leaders stay in Fes to take on the Cranes on Tuesday, while Tunisia travel back to the capital to face the Taifa Stars.
A Nervy Finish
Ali Abdi drilled the ball from the penalty spot to give Tunisia hope of snatching a draw.
The Super Eagles, runners-up in the 2023 edition, become the second nation after the Pharaohs to reach the next phase, but their manager and supporters will undoubtedly be breathing a sigh of relief.
What seemed set to be a straightforward last period morphed into a nerve-wracking conclusion.
The prolific striker had a goal ruled out for an infringement before breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, precisely placing a glancing effort into the bottom corner from an Atalanta winger cross.
The advantage was doubled early in the second half when the Leicester City midfielder rose highest to thump in a header from a Lookman corner.
Osimhen then set up his teammate for the seemingly decisive goal, before the defender to direct a powerful header past the Nigerian shot-stopper to begin the comeback.
The pivotal moment arrived when a looping cross hit the arm of Bright Osayi-Samuel, with the official awarding a penalty after reviewing the VAR monitor.
Despite Ali Abdi's confident conversion, Tunisia ultimately fell short of pulling off a remarkable recovery.
Their fate is still in their own hands; a draw against Tunisia will be enough to see them through, and their coach will be eager to prevent a recurrence of the past group-stage exit that resulted in his departure.
