It was an intense evening for Gernot Rohr’s men as the Super Eagles had been held down by the Squirrels of Benin republic from the the beginning of the match till the 93rd minute when Paul Onuachu scored the winning goal for Nigeria. Onuachu, who came off the bench proved his worth and fulfilled the promise he had made earlier this week.
It was really a last minute miracle, however Nigeria had already qualified for AFCON 2021. On the other side of the continent, Sierra Leone had a goalless draw with Lesotho. Lesotho hosted Sierra Leone in the earlier fixture at the Setsoto Stadium in Maseru, drawing 0-0. This meant table-toppers Nigeria with eight points have secured their 2021 AFCON ticket, while Benin Republic with seven points can also ensure qualification.
Nigeria’s victory over Benin Republic has given the Leone Stars a slim hope of qualification heading into their penultimate round fixture. The Leone Stars host the Squirrels at the National Stadium in Freetown, on Tuesday.
Bottom-placed Lesotho with three points are out of the race and will be playing for pride against the Super Eagles at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, also on Tuesday.
