Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by the Elephants of Equatorial Guinea on Sunday in their opening AFCON match held in Ivory Coast.
Nigeria came into the match beaming with some confidence with African Footballer of The Year, Victor Osimhen leading the attack.
Despite injuries to Victor Boniface, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Sadiq Umar, they began the match in a spritely manner with Victor Oshimhen in the 4th-minute shooting wide after a mistake from Equatorial Guinea’s keeper.
Stanley Nwabali was preferred to Francis Uzoho in goal after the latter had come under heavy criticism of late.
Jose Peserios’s men kept the momentum going and the Napoli forward came close again after the opposition goalkeeper parried a low shot but the linesman raised the flag to rule him off.
The Elephants would maintain their discipline at the back and stun Nigeria in the 37th minute courtesy of Iban Salvador. who calmly found the back of the net with a brilliant finish beating Stanley Nwabali
Super Eagles would react almost immediately after Alex Iwobi found Osimhen with a cross to level the match.
Nigeria’s forward #9 Victor Osimhen gestures during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group A football match between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan, on January 14, 2024. (Photo by Issouf SANOGO / AFP)
Moses Simon tried his luck in added time of the first half with a shot at the keeper’s near post, and Owono was in a defiant mood s usual to keep the scores level going into the second half.
The second half began almost as Nigeria ended the first when a golden chance was flopped after Osimhen and Lookman got in each other’s way.
Nigeria kept piling up the pressure but Owono kept up his heroics
In the 67th -minute, Alhassan Yusuf who was having a bright debut in the middle of the field ended up being carried off on a stretcher.
Peserio would bring on Joe Aribo and Samuel Chukwueze for Yusuf and Simon to add some bite to the Nigerian attack.
With limited chances for both sides, Osimhen would get miss a glorious chance for the Super Eagles to take the lead as he horribly pulled a right-footed shot well wide of the near post. in the 76-minute.
The Elephants would keep up with their resolute defence to get a vital draw against the 2013 champions.
