Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored the winner as Nigeria defeated Libya 1-0 in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday.
The Group D encounter was a game of missed chances, gamesmanship from the Libyans and poor officiating by the referees but Dele-Bashiru proved the hero the Eagles needed with his late strike.
Coach Austin Eguavoen switched to a 4-3-3 with Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface leading the attack alongside Moses Simon.
The Super Eagles had the first chance of the encounter when the Libya goalkeeper was forced into a save by Alex Iwobi. The team continued to have the upper hand but failed to make it count as William Troost-Ekong, the Eagles captain, fired wide from a rebound, following a save off Frank Onyeka’s shot.
Iwobi was then expertly denied by a point-blank save as both teams went into the interval on level terms.
Iwobi continued to enter the box at the right time but his finishing was abysmal, with the 27-year-old heading high and wide from six yards out before blazing a half-volley wide minutes later as Nigeria probed the Libyans more on the right wing.
The Libyans settled into time-wasting routine but Lookman found the back of the net with a low shot after exchanging passes but he was deemed offside despite replays showing otherwise.
Nigeria scored minutes later when Dele-Bashiru fired into the far corner from centre of the box off Simon’s pass from the wing, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot while fans celebrated wildly.
The goal ensured Eguavoen’s side secured all three points to put them closer to qualification.
Victory takes Nigeria to seven points on the log from three matches, leading group D at the halfway mark of the qualification series.
The Super Eagles travel to Benghazi to face the Libyans on matchday four on October 15.
