Nigeria record major win over Ivory Coast to boost chance for Afcon 2023

Troost-Ekong goal from di penalty spot help Nigeria defeat hosts Ivory Coast and secure dia first victory for di ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Di captain of di Super Eagles convert from di spot on 55 mins afta Nigeria win a penalty through a foul on Osimhen.

At first referee Mustapha Gorbal no award di penalty but video assistant referee (VAR) call im attention to di foul by Diomande on di Napoli striker before im point to di spot.

Di goal by Troost-Ekong bin be di only shot wey di Super Eagles bin get on target as Nigeria produce very good defensive display to shock di Ivorians.

Hosts Ivory Coast try all dem fit to cut Nigeria open but dem find Nwabali in goal for di Super Eagles and im defence to hard to break down.

First Kouame pounce on mistake from Sanusi to before im shoot towards goal, Nwabali open up im body to save am. Di Chippa United defender also save well from long range shot by Fofana.

Despite say di Elephants throw on attcking players like Nicolas Pepe, Jonathan Bamba and Karim Konate, dem struggle to find di equaliser as de, fall to defeat in front of over 60,000 fans inside di Alassane Ouattara stadium.

Victory for Nigeria mean say dem now get four points and sit second inside group A behind Equatorial Guinea wey also get four points but dey top di group based on goal difference.

Ivory Coast now must beat Equatorial Guinea for dia last group match in oda to progress to di knockout round.

Meanwhile Nigeria go dey eye to finish top of di group wen dem face Guinea-Bissau for dia last goup match on Monday 22 January 2024.

Second half

Second half dey about to start, di camera dey show former France striker Djibril Cisse as im also dey stadium alongside Didier Drogba.

46 mins - Ivory Coast don restart play. Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria.

Straight from di restart Nigeria win fould. Calvin Bassey dey in pain afta e collide wit an Ivorian. Di defender receive treatment but dey okay to kontinu.

50 mins - Sangare bring down Lookman wen im bin wan begin im forward run. Di winger no dey happy at all as im tell di referee im mind.

52 mins - VAR don give Nigeri penalty. Diomande foul Osimhen inside di box. Opportunity for Nigeria to score now.

54 mins - Ekong di captain to take. Goal! Ekong blast di ball past di goalkeeper into di net.

Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria.

61 mins - Di game now don come alive and di pressure dey on di host now to respond. Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria

62 mins - Osimhen wit a good chance to score a second? No! Osimhen race in behind di Ivorian defence to head Aina long throw just over di bar.

64 mins - Ivory Coast dey prepare to make substitution as Pepe look like im go soon come on. Meanwhile Serge Aurier need treatment. E be like di right back go dey among di players dem wan substitute.

66 mins - Ivory coast now get free-kick to test di Nigerian defence. Diomande head di cross but im header no dey on target.

67 mins - Substitution: Aurier, Boga and Kouame don come off. Singo, Bamba and Pepe don enter di game.

70 mins - Ibrahim Sangare try to bring di game level from free-kick. Di Nottingham Forest midfielder luck no shine as im shot just dey rise like garri into di stands.

72 mins - While both teams bin go for cooling break Nigeria don withdraw Chukwueze for Moses Simon.

73 mins - Fofana, close! Di midfielder try to bend im shot from outside di area into di net but im shot narrowly go wide.

75 mins - Ivory Coast now don begin ask questions of di Nigerian defence. Dis time Ndicka head cross from corner-kick over di bar.

Still Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria afta 76 mins.

79 mins - Nigeria don go defensive now wit two substitutions.

Defenders Osayi-Samuel and Omeruo don replace Sanusi and Lookman.

83 mins - Osayi-Samuel wit good run try to hit Ivory Coast wit counterattack, di right winger run almost di full length of di pitch but fail to produce a shot.

84 mins - Ivory Coast make dia final change to get sometin out of dis match.

Karim Konate don enter di match in place of Krasso.

88 mins - Nigeria don take off Osimhen and replace am wit Onuachu.

Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria.

90 mins - We don enter injury time and di referee add nine minutes. Di Nigerian fans for stadium shout how?

Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria

90+2 mins - Goalkeeper Nwabali don collect yellow card for time wasting. Dat na di first yellow for dis game.

90+5 mins - Di Ivorians look like dem don run out of energy as time dey go for dem to find an equaliser.

Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria

90+8 mins - Nigeria again repel anoda Ivorian cross into di box and dem get just one minute to hold on.

90+9 mins - Just seconds remain now for Nigeria to hold on.

And referee Ghorbal brind di game to an end. Nigeria don defeat di hosts in front of dia fans.

FT: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria

First half

1 min - Afta both kontris sing dia national anthem, di match don start and na Nigeria begin di game playing from right to left in dia white anf green jersey.

4 mins - Frank Onyeka of Nigeria try im luck from outside di box, im shot no trouble di keeper as di ball go wide.

7 mins - Afta a period wia dem control possession, Ivory Coast send di ball into di area for Kouame to head am but di striker header dey too high.

8 mins - From dat chance Nigeria go di oda end to create a good chance thorugh Osimhen. Di Napoli striker race through on goal before e shoot. Im shot dey too high.

9 mins - Dis game don really start fast, from dat Osimhen chance Ivory Coast go di oda end to create dia own. Nigeria fail to clear one long ball as Sanusi misread am. Di ball fall for Kouame wey fire im shot towards goal, goalkeeper Nwabali spread well to stop di ball.

15 mins - Evan Ndicka don test Nwabali wit a left foot volley from Kouame cross.

18 mins - Now Zaidu Sanusi need medical attention. Di Super Eagles left back go down afta challenge from Kessie. Im dey okay to kontinu.

23 mins - Both kontris now dey play end to end football. Nigeria work di ball well down di left with Lookman, di winger find Chukwueze wit a pass wey im shoot. Ivory Coast block di shot go out for corner. Nigeria no make use of di cornre-kick as Ivory Coast clear di ball.

31 mins - Seko Fofana go close to open di scoring as im waya better shot from distance wey Nwabali save.

35 mins - Nigeria win free-kick from good position as Aurier bring down Sanusi. Lookman to take di set piece, oh so close but Ajayi handle di cross. Still Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria

39 mins - Christian Kouame cross from di right turn to shot wey almost catch Nwabali by surprise. Di Chippa United goalkeeper comfortably catch di ball.

45 mins -Nigeria record anoda shot through Sanusi. Di defender volley clearance from Ivory Coast off a corner-kick well over di bar. Di referee don add three minutes before half-time.

45+3 mins - Di two teams no fit break each oda down afta 45 mins. Dem go need dey better in di second half.

HT: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria

Ivory Coast vs Nigeria line up

Ivory Coast XI: Yahia Fofana; Aurier, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana; Boga, Krasso, Kouame.

Nigeria XI: Nwabali; Troost-Ekong, Ajayi, Bassey; Aina, Onyeka, Iwobi, Sanusi; Chukwueze, Osimhen, Lookman.