Victor Osimhen’s header in the 80th minute has earned Nigeria a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Benin Republic as the Super Eagles book a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco.
Benin went ahead through Tijani Mohammed in the 16th minute as Gernot Rohr’s side looked to also seal qualification to AFCON after Libya’s surprise win over Rwanda in Kigali sealed Nigeria’s place in the finals.
A win would’ve seen Benin join the Super Eagles, but Osimhen’s goal with 10 minutes to go ensured the Super Eagles will finish top of the qualifying group no matter what happens in the final group matches.
Benin on their part now need to avoid defeat in their final group match against Libya to qualify. Meanwhile, Libya’s win at Rwanda has given the Mediterranean Knights an outside chance of reaching AFCON 2025.
The North Africans will need a favour from Nigeria coupled with a win over Benin in their final qualifying match next week to reach the finals. Rwanda will qualify with a win over Nigeria and a favourable result from the match between Libya and Benin.