Defending champions Nigeria beat hosts Congo 2-0 in Pointe Noire to revive their qualification bid for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for Jan. 17 to Feb. 8.
Nigeria now have to beat group leaders South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday to ensure automatic qualification behind the Bafana Bafana regardless of Congo’s result in Sudan, also on Wednesday.
Second half goals by returning striker Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel boosted Nigeria’s prospects of making it to Equatorial Guinea, the competition’s new hosts.
The Super Eagles started the game well and kept the Red Devils in check for most of the first half, in spite of the fact that both sides were unlucky not to have got on the scoresheet.
Uche then celebrated his return to the Eagles in style when in the 59th minute he tucked away a penalty kick after Congo goalkeeper Massa had brought down goalbound Emmanuel Emenike.
Congo failed to draw level in the 65th minute, when Vincent Enyeama saved a penalty kick taken by Thievy Bifouma, after Godfrey Oboabona was adjudged to have handled a goalbound shot inside the area.
Substitute Aaron Samuel then made the game safe for Nigeria a minute to full time when he struck from inside the box, his second goal in his second match.
In other matches, South Africa became the fourth country to qualify with a 2-1 win over Sudan in Durban to top Group A, while Cameroon edged past Congo DR 1-0 to claim Group D.
South Africa’s qualifier took place in the hometown of the late Senzo Meyiwa, the team’s goalkeeper who was tragically killed last month.
The victory allowed the Group A leaders to join already-qualified Algeria, Cape Verde and Tunisia.
Zambia edged hosts Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo to qualify in Group F with group leaders Cape Verde Islands, while Burkina Faso and Gabon qualified from Group C.
Burkina Faso beat Lesotho 1-0 in Maseru and Gabon held home team Angola to a goalless draw in Luanda
