Guinea-Bissau 0-1 Nigeria: Super Eagles into last 16 with edgy win

Nigeria secured their spot in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Guinea-Bissau, thanks to an own-goal by Opa Sangante in the first half. Despite the spirited efforts of Guinea-Bissau, who were eager to claim their first victory in the tournament, Nigeria managed to hold on and secure their place in the next round.

The Djurtus, who have never lost all three games in the AFCON group stages, put up a strong resistance against Victor Osimhen and his teammates, showing great promise in the early stages against the three-time AFCON champions.

However, Guinea Bissau suffered a setback when Sangante accidentally scored an own goal, giving Nigeria an unexpected lead.

With their qualification to the knockout stages on the line, Jose Peseiro's team felt comfortable with their one-goal advantage going into halftime. Victor Osimhen came close to scoring a second goal with a missed header just before the break.

The second half was an intense battle, with both teams attacking each other whenever they had the chance.

Nigeria thought they had extended their lead, but the referee ruled it as a handball in the build-up, denying Osimhen an easy goal. Osimhen also missed another header from close range, giving Guinea Bissau hope of salvaging at least a draw.

The tension continued until the end, with both teams having goals disallowed due to offside calls.

In the end, the Super Eagles secured the victory, securing a second-place finish in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea.

On the other hand, Guinea Bissau exited the competition without a single win for the fourth consecutive time, extending their winless streak to 12 games.