The quest by the Super Eagles of Nigeria for a fourth African Cup of Nations title took off on a wobbling note as they were held 1-1 on Sunday by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their first game of the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Equatorial Guinea took the lead in the 37th minute when Iban Salvador scored a well-placed shot that left Super Eagles’ goalie, Stanley Nwabali helpless.
African Footballer of the year Victor Osimhen responded within two minutes for the Super Eagles, heading in the equaliser just before half time.
However, the Super Eagles, one of the tournament favourites, could not make good use of their dominance, wasting lots of goal opportunities, with Osimhen missing a big chance in the 75th.
Nigeria’s next game is on Thursday against hosts Ivory Coast who had a better start, beating Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in the opener.
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