Staff Reporter.
Nigeria ended their Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday evening.
The Super Eagles were already guaranteed to finish top of Group L before the match, but the result adds to their dominance and underlines their status as one of the teams to watch heading into Cameroon 2022.
The identity of the group’s other qualifier remains unknown for now, with the crunch match between Sierra Leone and Benin – which should have kicked off simultaneously in Freetown – delayed due to a Covid-19 wrangle.
Nigeria bossed the game from early on, but had to wait until the 23rd minute to claim the lead. Striker Victor Osimhen ran onto a ball over the top of the defence from Kelechi Iheanacho and lobbed it past goalkeeper Sekhoane Moerane from a tight angle.
If the Super Eagles thought that strike would open the floodgates, they were mistaken, with Likuena able to close up shop in defence and ensure that they kept the deficit to just one goal up to the halftime interval.
The second half saw Nigeria once again start strongly, and five minutes after the restart they added a second goal, with Oghenekaro Etebo finishing off an assist from Osimhen.
Lesotho soon responded by introducing Sera Motebang and Lehlohonolo Fothoane, while the Super Eagles were able to bring Paul Onuachu and Henry Onyekuru off their bench in an effort to add to their advantage.
And Onuachu – who scored the late winner away to Benin this past weekend – netted a second in as many matches when he turned home an assist from Onyekuru in the 83rd minute, wrapping up an emphatic victory for the West African heavyweights.
Meanwhile Senegal fought back to hold Eswatini to a 1-1 draw in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification Group I match at the Stade Lat-Dior in Thiès on Tuesday evening.
As a result the Lions of Teranga finished a successful qualifying campaign undefeated, while a courageous Sihlangu Semnikati side remained fourth on the group standings.
Elsewhere the Africa Cup of Nations Group L qualifier between Sierra Leone and Benin scheduled for Tuesday evening has been cancelled.
The Squirrels, who needed to avoid defeat in the match to join group winners Nigeria in qualifying for the Afcon, have refused to play in protest after several of their players were alleged to have returned positive Covid-19 tests.
The Confederation of African Football will communicate a decision in due course.
Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania have become the latest countries to qualify for January’s Africa Cup of Nations as they secured runners-up berths in their groups on Tuesday.
A total of 22 teams have so far qualified for the finals in Cameroon with the last two places to be settled later on Tuesday.