Nigeria beat Sierra Leone 3-2 at the Samuel Doe stadium in Liberia to qualify for the 2024 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Cote d’ Ivoire.
The Super Eagles started the game in cruise control, creating chances which saw Victor Osimhen open the scoring in the 19th minute. Chukwueze and Simon Moses missed clear cut chances which characterized Nigerian’s game on the day.
Osimhen doubled the scores in the 32rd minute showing his class as the top scorer with 7 goals so far in the qualifications.
Sierra Leone got one back through an emphatic strike by Mustapha Bundu in the 41st minute to beat Adebayo Adeleye, the Nigerian goal keeper, making his debut for the Super Eagles.
At the commencement of the second half, the Super Eagles lost their rhythm, with sloppy passes in midfield and recording no shot.
Substitutes such as Taiwo Awoniyi, Frank Oneyaka and Kelechi Iheanacho where introduced by Jose Peseiro, the Nigerian coach, to bring a different dynamic to the game.
The Leone Stars capitalized on the lack of coordination to grab an equalizer courtesy of a stunning strike from Augustus Kargba in the 81st minute, giving them hope as they needed a win to continue their qualification campaign.
The Super Eagles where able to grab a late winner as Iheanacho was right on time to tap in an exquisite pass from Zaidu Sanusi in the 95th minute to ensure Nigeria’s qualification.
Nigeria has officially qualified from group A, destroying Sierra Leone’s dreams of making it to The 2024 AFCON.
Nigeria currently tops the group with 12 points from 5 matches, closely followed by Guinea-Bissau who have automatically qualified following the outcome of the game.
Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe will seat out AFCON 2024 as they have 5 and 1 points respectively.
Nigeria joins 12 other countries who have booked their place for the AFCON 2024 so far.
Nigeria is a three time AFCON winner, who last won the competition in 2013 as the Super Eagles where led to victory by the late coach Stephen Keshi.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for two consecutive editions, but finally qualfied in 2019, and came in at third. The Super Eagles where knocked out in the round of 16 in the last edition of the competition in 2021 held in Cameroon.
