Nigeria forced Equatorial Guinea to a frustrating 1-1 draw in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A at Ebimpe’s Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium. Ivan Salvador’s composed finish in the 36th minute gave Equatorial Guinea the lead, but Victor Osimhen’s difficult header in an empty net levelled the score for Nigeria.
“As a coach, I am sad about the result but not about the capacity of my players; no player missed a goal because he wants to miss but it is difficult sometimes,” said Coach Jose Peseiro at the post-match conference.
Despite a spirited second-half effort, neither side managed to break the deadlock. Nigeria’s Moses Simon came close in the 45th minute with a well-struck effort that hit the upright. The draw leaves Group A with Cote d’Ivoire at the top, while Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria are a point above Guinea-Bissau.
Next up for Nigeria is a highly anticipated clash with tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire, while Equatorial Guinea faces Guinea-Bissau. The Super Eagles will be looking to sharpen their attacking prowess after their goal-shy performance against Equatorial Guinea.
In his reaction to the draw, Coach Peseiro expressed disappointment but remained optimistic about Nigeria’s chances in the tournament. “I am sad about the result but not about the capacity of my players; no player missed a goal because he wants to miss but it is difficult sometimes,” Peseiro stated.
Addressing concerns about the status of injured player Alhassan Abdullahi, Peseiro expressed hope that the injury is not serious and emphasised his dedication to improving the team’s goal-scoring efficiency through training and personal attention to individual players.
