The Super Eagles yesterday survived a major scare at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos where they drew 1-1 with the resilient Blue Sharks of Cape Verde but qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification play-off.
The three-time African champions were uninspiring but the result was good enough for the team to play in the final round of qualifiers for the global showpiece event as they finished as Group C leaders with 13 points after six games.
A Victor Osimhen’s first-minute opener had put fans in high spirit with the hope that the flood gates of goals were opened but that was not to be as the early lead was quickly cancelled in the sixth minute by Ianique Tavares.
The first half was nervy as both sides sought to score the second goal but that was not to be with the game being a nerve-wracking encounter.
Despite the 66% possession and with four shots on target, the Gernot Rohr tutored side was unable to increase the score line.
Nigeria has participated in all FIFA World Cup final tournaments since its debut in 1994 in the United States of America, bar the 2006 finals in Germany that she missed narrowly after FIFA opted to use the head-to-head rule in the qualifying campaign, which favoured Angola.
The final round of the African qualifying series will be held in March 2022.
Meanwhile, Gernot Rohr is now the most capped handler of the three-time African champions in history with 55 games under his belt.
He had edged Shaibu Amodu after Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over Liberia at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tangier before moving clear after yesterday’s game at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
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