The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Thursday secured qualification to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to hold in Morocco.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Super Eagles secured a berth at the continental showpiece with two games to spare, even before they took to the pitch to take on Benin Republic.
This was after Libya snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali in an earlier Group D encounter, thanks to a late strike by Fahd Saad Mohamed.
The result meant table-toppers Nigeria with 10 points can now finish either as Group winners or runners up, with second placed Benin Republic still up with a chance as well.
A win or a draw for Nigeria against Benin Republic would all but seal top spot for the Super Eagles.
The win for Libya also pushed the Mediterranean Knights up to four points, although they remain at the bottom of Group D, while Rwanda stays in third with five points.
The game was closely contested, with both sides creating chances but struggling to find the back of the net.
Rwanda’s Innocent Nshuti came close on several occasions, but Libyan goalkeeper Bader Hassan stood firm.
As the game approached its last minutes, Mohamed found himself unmarked in the box, receiving a pass from Nour aldin Al Qulaib to slot it past Rwanda’s Thierry Manzi in the 84th minute.(NAN)