By Dianabasi Effiong
Super Eagles team
Nigeria became the first country to make it to the knockout rounds of the ongoing 32nd Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt on Wednesday evening, as Kenneth Omeruo’s well –placed header from a Moses Simon’s corner kick earned all three points against Guinea at the Alexandria Stadium.
A below –par first half gave way to a lively second half, during which Odion Ighalo, who earned all the three points for Nigeria after coming on as a substitute against Burundi on Saturday, could have scored if the Guinean defenders had not checkmated Ahmed Musa’s pass from a swift counter-attack, and Alex Iwobi forced a smart one-handed save from Guinea’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone from a snap shot.
The result means that for the first time since the AFCON finals (also staged in Egypt), Nigeria won their two matches of the finals.
At the beginning, the Syli Nationale were more business-like, working three shots on target including one that rattled Daniel Akpeyi, before Moses Simon fired wide over the bar when he freed himself from the right.
