By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
Nigeria’s Belgium-based striker, Paul Onuachu, at the weekend shattered Benin Republic’s eight-year unbeaten record at home, when he scored a 95th minute winner for Nigeria in AFCON qualifying match in Porto-Novo at the weekend.
His stoppage-time winner via a header followed Nigeria’s pre-kickoff qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, as Lesotho played 0-0 with Sierra Leone in Maseru in the other Group L match.
With the result, Super Eagles became the 17th qualifiers for the tournament an hour before playing the Squirrels.
A fourth consecutive goalless draw in the section seemed on the cards until giant substitute, Onuachu, reacted quickest when goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe blocked a Victor Osimhen shot in Porto-Novo.
A combination of the woodwork, which foiled Osimhen, wild shooting and several superb saves by Allagbe had kept the match at Stade Charles de Gaulle goalless for 92 minutes.
The Super Eagles travelled by sea to the capital of Benin Friday after players raised concerns about the poor road network linking the neighbouring West African countries.
A few hours later, Nigerian Super Eagles trained at the match venue using the light of a full moon because the floodlights were not switched on.
Nigeria has 11 points, Benin seven, Sierra Leone four and Lesotho three going into the final round of qualifiers Tuesday.
While three-time African champions Nigeria host Lesotho in Lagos with only pride at stake, Cup of Nations qualification will be on the line when Sierra Leone confront Benin in Freetown.
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Zimbabwe have also qualified, leaving seven places to be filled.
On Sunday in Omdurman, Sudan snatched AFCON ticket by defeating South Africa, which needed at least a draw to join Ghana from Group C.