The Chairman of the FCT Football Association, Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed, has said the 1-1 draw earned by the Super Eagles in their opening match of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations against Equatorial Guinea was better than outright loss.
The three-time African champions had to fight back to pick a point in the Group A fixture played Sunday in Abidjan after they had fallen behind in the 36th minute.
Although the Super Eagles showed early intent, it was their more illustrious opponents who drew the first blood through Iban Slavador in the 36th minute.
However, it took Osimhen less than two minutes to restore parity for the former champions when he headed in Ademola Lookman’s inch perfect cross from the left.
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On resumption, there was nothing to separate both sides as the Super Eagles sustained pressure towards the dying minutes of the match counted for nothing.
Reacting to the outcome of the match, Mohammed said “In Football always, the result goes three ways, win, draw or lose. We pushed for the win but we had to settle for a draw. It’s better than to lose.
“The heat/ humidity and the bad pitch was a problem for the Players. We have a tougher match next with the hosts. So we need a minimum draw to stay on track. If not we could be at risk to exit the tournament early.”
The Super Eagles will take to the field again on Thursday when they take on the Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire.
