The Nigerian team, led by Portuguese coach José Peseiro, secured a 1-0 victory against the host Ivory Coast on Thursday in the second round of Group A in the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). The win was achieved through a penalty committed by Diomandé and successfully converted by Troost-Ekong at the 55th minute.
Koumé for the hosts and Osimhen for the Nigerians were the most lively players until the 20th minute when Zaidu had physical complaints, and the hydration break slowed down the pace of the game. Until halftime, only Seko Fofana, a teammate of Ronaldo and Otávio at Al Nassr, came close to scoring, aiming for his second goal in the tournament.
The draw in the first round forced Peseiro’s team to take more risks in the second half, focusing on the attack with Osimhen as the offensive beacon. It was the Naples forward, named the best African player in 2023, who drew the foul committed by Ousmane Diomandé in the penalty area. Troost-Ekong stepped up to take the penalty, firing it into the center of the goal.
The Portuguese-led team closed down spaces and allowed little room for the hosts until the final whistle. The most noteworthy moment until the end was a shot from Seko Fofana just outside the penalty area, which narrowly missed the target.
With this result, Nigeria joins Equatorial Guinea at the top of Group A with 4 points, followed by Ivory Coast with 3 points, and Guinea-Bissau at the bottom with zero points.
