Fisayo Dele-Bashiru came off the bench to secure Nigeria a 1-0 victory against Libya in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, held in Uyo on Friday. The Mediterranean Knights spent much of the match in a defensive stance, but Dele-Bashiru’s late goal finally broke their resistance.
With this win, the Super Eagles now sit at the top of Group D with 7 points, ahead of Benin Republic (6 points), Rwanda (2 points), and Libya (1 point).
Dele-Bashiru entered the game in the 74th minute, replacing Alex Iwobi, and netted the decisive goal in the 86th minute. He connected with a precise low cross from Moses Simon, sending the ball into the back of the net. The Lazio midfielder’s goal ended Libya’s efforts to hold off Nigeria, which included various defensive tactics, such as time-wasting, to frustrate the Super Eagles.
Earlier in the match, Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman had a goal disallowed for offside, a decision that sparked discontent among some fans at the stadium. Despite this setback, Nigeria dominated possession and controlled the game from start to finish, though clear scoring chances were hard to come by.
Super Eagles’ head coach, Austin Eguavoen, set up a three-man attack led by Victor Boniface, Ademola Lookman, and Moses Simon, following the absence of injured striker Victor Osimhen. Simon replaced Samuel Chukwueze in the starting lineup, who had featured in the last two games for Nigeria.
In goal, Stanley Nwabali was trusted to start, while Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Calvin Bassey maintained their spots in defense. The midfield trio consisted of Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, and Alex Iwobi, anchoring the team’s efforts.
Nigeria will now travel to Libya for the return leg, scheduled for Tuesday at the Benina Martyrs Stadium.
