November 15, (THEWILL) – Nigeria maintained their Group D supremacy in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign following a 1-1 draw against Benin at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny. The result kept the Super Eagles four points clear at the summit, with one qualification match remaining.
The opening period belonged to Benin, who capitalised on their aerial dominance. Junior Olaitan delivered an excellent cross, which Mohamed Tijani converted with a precise header in the 17th minute. Victor Osimhen missed an opportunity to equalise before the interval, directing his header wide despite finding himself unmarked.
The second half witnessed both teams creating even more opportunities, with neither side adopting a defensive approach. Olaitan failed to convert a close-range opportunity past Stanley Nwabali in the 62nd minute, while Bruno Onyemaechi struck the woodwork moments later.
The Super Eagles found their equaliser through Osimhen, who made amends for his earlier miss. The Galatasaray forward met substitute Moses Simon’s cross with a well-placed header in the 81st minute, ensuring the points were shared.
Benin remain in second position in Group D, with their qualification hopes resting on their final match against Libya. A victory in their away fixture on November 18 would guarantee their place in the continental competition, while Nigeria will complete their campaign at home against Rwanda on the same date after they booked their spot in the tournament in Morocco next year when a Rwanda fell to Libya in the group match before the Super Eagles played Benin.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
