Substitute Paul Onuachu scored in the third minute of added time as Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated hosts Republic of Benin’s Squirrels 1-0 on Saturday in Porto Novo.
The result at the Stade Charles de Gaulle, while confirming Nigeria’s top spot finish, however, delayed the Squirrels’ qualification to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Nigeria had already earned qualification even before they stepped on the pitch in Porto Novo after Sierra-Leone and Lesotho had played a barren draw.
Benin looked set to follow the Super Eagles to Cameroon as they had held on to a draw in the first half.
But the last-minute goal means they are now faced with an important last match away to Sierra-Leone, who also have qualification hopes.
Sierra-Leone are on four points and could qualify with a win at home against Benin, who need just a point to go through.
Nigeria play Lesotho in the last group match, the latter’s hopes having been ended after their draw with Sierra-Leone.
In Porto Novo, it was a game of two halfs.
Nigeria dominated the opening half while Benin’s Squirrels had more chances in the second period, though none of the efforts could bear a goal.
The Super Eagles, perhaps charged with the pre-match news that they were already qualified for Cameroon even before they took to the pitch against Benin, started the match strongly.
They then ended the half with the most goalscoring chances.
As early as the fifth minute, the Nigerians were already causing their hosts jitters.
That was when Victor Osimhen struck a shot wide across the face of goal when he was sent through by Henry Onyekuru.
Two minutes later, Benin goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe made a brilliant one-handed save to tip over a snap shot from Kelechi Iheanacho.
Benin had their first effort at goal in the 21st minute, but it was a faint one, and the closest they came with threatening the Nigerian backline.
Steve Mounie turned quickly from 30 yards out before unleashing a shot from his right boot, but the effort spread wide.
The Nigerians continued dominating and Osimhen once again had a chance in the 24th minute.
However, the lanky Napoli striker took a hurried shot that was easily saved when a good interchange of passes released him into the box.
Gernot Rohr’s men were playing some good football and some neat team play in the 33rd minute almost opened up the opening goal.
That was when Ola Aina switched flanks to float the ball to Onyekuru on the left.
The winger teed up Iheanacho but his shot deflected for a corner-kick.
A minute to the break, Allagbe made a super block at point-blank to deny Onyekuru who snapped in a quick header from a decent Zaidu Sanusi cross from the left.
In the second half, Benin started stronger and had a chance presented to them in the 51st minute.
Confusion between William Troost-Ekong and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye saw Mounie sneak in between the two, but his attempted lob over Okoye was wide.
Three minutes on the turn, Nigeria also sneaked in two back-to-back chances with Osimhen seeing both go begging.
The striker’s first effort from the edge of the area went over while in the 56th minute, he had a low shot from the right hit the upright.
At the other end, Okoye made a good save in the 63rd minute.
This was when he went down to his left to pluck out a header from Mounie who had risen to connect to a Youssouf Amouda cross.
The final 25 minutes of the game were a see-saw affair between the two sides.
It was Nigeria who would come alive in the final minutes.
Their late pressure bore fruit when Onuachu headed home after Allagbe had saved Osimhen’s effort with his feet.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of football enthusiasts in Enugu on Saturday hailed the Super Eagles for defeating the Squirrels.
Some of the football enthusiasts hailed the team for coming away with the maximum points.
Dan Onwuegbuna, the Public Relations Officer of Enugu State’s Ministry of Youths and Sports, said the result was an indication the players knew what was at stake.
“We needed to win the match and not even draw, considering the importance of the match and the calibre of players in the Super Eagles.
“Nigeria were supposed to have qualified before the match, because none of the countries in the group were supposed to be a match for Nigeria.
“Notwithstanding, we had all we needed which was qualification. So, the players deserve to be commended,” he said.
Onwuegbuna acknowledged that, while there are no minnows again in football these days, football is being played on the field and not with mouth.
Also, Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, a former international boxer, expressed joy over the victory.
He noted that the players showed that they are true Nigerian ambassadors in football.
“The most exciting part in the match was not the win but to seal our qualification, because we have been having upper hand over Benin.
“But now that the qualification has been sealed, the team’s Technical Adviser needs to sit up and assemble our best legs for the AFCON,” he said.
The coach of Golden Stars Football Club of Enugu, Uche Lofty, said the result was a deserved one.
“I wonder how the AFCON in Cameroon will look like if Nigeria failed to qualify.
“All the teams in the group wanted to qualify. So, the match was not an easy one. But the players still showed that Nigeria deserved a place in the forthcoming AFCON,” he said.
Augustine Madumere, a businessman and a football lover, said he was scared of the outcome the match could have had.
“We should thank God that Paul Onuachu was later drafted in, and that is why it is good to invite players who are in form at the time of the contest,” he said.
Nigeria have 11 points from five matches while their nearest rivals, Republic of Benin, have seven points.
Nigeria have now qualified for the 2021 AFCON coming up in Cameroon before their last match of the group.
Some football enthusiasts in Lagos also expressed their excitement for the lone goal scored by Onuachu.
The football enthusiasts said the goal has made their weekend beautiful.
Onuachu headed home the lone goal in the 90th minute of the game after he substituted Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, which many enthusiasts believed was a wrong decision.
The Super Eagles will confront the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, in what will be their first encounter in Nigeria’s commercial and economic capital in 10 years.
Mr Akosa Sani, a businessman, said that the Eagles may have taken the Benin Republic team for granted for the first half of the match, but was happy they got the three points.
For Mr Friday Chukwu, also a businessman, he was quite excited by the goal, stressing that he celebrated it as if it was the qualifying goal.
Çhukwu commended Coach Gernot Rohr for the foresight, noting that he was not happy when Iheanacho was replaced by the goal scorer.
Mr Segun Adejaye, an IT expert, said it would have been disastrous if the Super Eagles had failed to score, stressing that there were rooms for improvement for the team.
Adejaye, however, was not happy with the coaching crew substitutions, stressing that the players may be good but faulted the technical crew.
Mr Oluwasegun Thompson, a student, said although Nigeria won the match, he did not see any impact from the coach early enough in the game.
“I am very happy over the lone goal. I am not disappointed with the team, they did well. Even if they had played a draw, I commend the coaching crew and the players,” said Mr Rotimi Alegbe.
Mr Peter Amos said when the substitutions were carried out, he knew that something positive was coming at the end of the game.
Before the match, Rohr said that his wards would approach the game with the intention of picking all three points.
“We are keen to restore a winning mentality to the group ahead of very crucial matches that we have ahead.
“It is important that we earn victories in the upcoming matches so that we get into our paces for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. There will be tough games to come and we need to be rearing to go,” Rohr said.
