AFCON 2023: Ekong's penalty has Super Eagles soar over the Elephants

It was reprieve for the Super Eagles of Nigeria Thursday night as they secured their first victory of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, seeing off hosts Ivory Coast 1-0 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

Defender William Troost Ekong was the difference maker in this cagy contest, as he stepped up in the 55th minute to push his penalty past Yahia Fofana after VAR had adjudged Ousmane Diomande to have fouled Victor Osimhen inside the box.

The victory for Jose Peseiro’s men was one made of grit, as they secured their first clean sheet in six matches, and finally broke the unwanted record that had seen them go four matches prior without a win.

Nigeria now move second in Group A, tied on points (4) with leaders Equatorial Guinea off a 4-2 victory over Guinea Bissau in the day’s earlier contest.

AFCON 2023: Nsue's historic hattrick sees Equatorial Guinea take command of Group A

Match Report

Stats wise, the opening half of the seventh meeting between the two African football powerhouses did absolutely go to plan.

That is if you’re reading from the same chapter that indicated that only two goals had been yielded between both sides in their three AFCON group stage match-ups.

Bar early opportunities from Frank Onyeka - in the fourth minute - and a Christian Kouamé attempt in the 10th minute that was just about saved, both teams struggled to threaten, with Nigeria the big winners of what turned out to be a goalless first half.

From their six shots, the hosts had managed to have three fall on target; Evan Ndicka and Seko Fofana had shots saved in the 15th and 31st minute, while Nigeria, for their lesser 40% possession, had none of their seven attempts fall goalwards.

But still, they at least had their fan excite, and even bagged an award!

If it was felt that the Super Eagles had no fortune fall their way, then a VAR check on Diomande’s foul cum tug on Osimhen inside the box after 51 minutes ultimately handing the visitors a penalty was the beginning of reprieve for them, as defender Troost Ekong stepped up to push his strike past Fofana for the lead.

Even Jose Peseiro was delighted with the breakthrough, but that would only count if they managed to beat the Elephants, and their stunned fans.

Diomande, in his redemption efforts, hit his header wide shortly after the hour mark, with Ibrahim Sangare skying his free kick from 35 yards after 70 minutes.

With a trio of substitutes in - Jonathan Banba, Wilfried Singo and Nicolas Pepe - Ivory Coast threw the kitchen sink in this contest, and almost equalized immediately when Seko Fofana, who was on the brink of history by becoming the latest Ivorian to score on back to back group stage games since Yaya Toure in 2013, curled his shot from just outside the 18 yard area wide.

Ndicka would then come close with a towering header off a Pepe corner, but it sailed to the right.

With nine minutes of stoppage time added on, it only looked like a question of when the hosts would be pulled out of their misery of faint attempts, with nothing coming close to troubling the commanding Stanley Nwabili in the Nigerian goal.

The Elephants will have a lot on their plate when they come up against the hot Equatorial Guinea on Monday.

AFCON 2023- GROUP STAGE

Round 2

Thursday

Equatorial Guinea - Guinea Bissau 4-2 (1-1)

/Nsue 21, 51, 61, Miranda 46 - Orosco 37, Ze Turbo 90+3/

Ivory Coast - Nigeria 0-1 (0-0)

/Troost-Ekong 54 pen/

23:00: (2.10) Egypt (3.20) Ghana (3.80)

Friday

17:00: (2.15) Cape Verde (3.15) Mozambique (3.70)

20:00: (1.97) Senegal (3.30) Cameroon (4.20)

23:00: (2.15) Guinea (3.15) Gambia (3.70)

Saturday

17:00: (1.72) Algeria (3.50) Burkina Faso (5.40)

20:00: (3.15) Mauritania (3.05) Angola (2.45)

23:00: (2.75) Tunisia (2.95) Mali (2.85)

Sunday

17:00: (1.58) Morocco (3.70) DR Congo (6.75)

20:00: (2.30) Zambia (3.15) Tanzania (3.35)

23:00: (2.00) S.Africa (3.30) Namibia (4.00)

***odds are subject to change***