AFCON 2023: Nigeria laboriously through to R16 after victory against Guinea-Bissau

Nigeria progressed safely to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in Abidjan. The only goal of the game came in the 36th minute, as Opa Sangante diverted into his own net after trying to prevent the ball reaching prolific Super Eagles frontman Victor Osimhen. Nigeria go through as runners-up in Group A, behind Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria are safely through to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau, who exit the competition at the group stage.

An own-goal by defender Opa Sangante, who lunged in to stop the ball reaching an unmarked Victor Osimhen after 36 minutes, was enough to separate the two teams in a game that was far more evenly-matched that their respective rankings would have suggested.

The Super Eagles had the best of the chances, with Osimhen the constant threat, and they had two goals disallowed, both due to handballs by the Napoli centre-forward.

But Guinea-Bissau, who knew they were out even before kick-off, put in a strong showing and caused Nigeria plenty of problems, having a goal of their own by Franculino Dju chalked off for a tight offside.

The result means that Nigeria go straight through to the Round of 16, although progress as runners-up behind Equatorial Guinea, leaving the Super Eagles to face the second-placed team in Group C, which will be one of Cameroon, Senegal or Guinea.

Nigeria may be through to the next round, but this was not a performance that will silence the critics. The Super Eagles really struggled to control the game against a Guinea-Bissau team who are ranked outside the top 100 teams in the world, and often left their star striker Osimhen pretty isolated up top.

The threat from wide areas, particularly on the left through Moses Simon, was Nigeria’s best way of unlocking the Guinea-Bissau defence, along with long balls over the top against an opposition who were happy to risk a high line against such a pacy front three. But finding a better way to get decent supply up to the front players is the big task awaiting the Super Eagles, who will always pose a threat on the break, but aren’t looking particularly adept at controlling games on their own terms right now.

For Guinea-Bissau, this was a missed opportunity to pick up a big scalp, and the reaction from the players at full-time suggested that they also felt that they deserved more from the game.

Nigeria’s centre-forward wasn’t at his clinical best, being caught offside on a number of occasions and missing some decent headed chances. But he was still the main threat for the Super Eagles and by some distance.

He had one goal chalked off for an unintentional handball that controlled the ball into his back, and saw a potential assist also scratched off for another handball in the build-up. But it was his presence that forced the mistake for the game-winning moment, and Osimhen is the player who will strike fear into Nigeria’s opponents in the latter stages. With him in the team they will stand a chance, but getting him higher-quality supply is the big task at hand.