Africa Cup of Nations host Ivory Coast slumped to a 1-0 loss at the hands of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, as William Troost Ekong’s second-half penalty relegated the 2-time champions to their first defeat of the campaign.
The Super Eagles who had one point from their opening match against Equatorial Guinea, knew their chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds hang in the balance and nothing short of a victory could suffice.
The decisive moment of the match saw Ousmane Diamonde adjudged to have fouled Victor Osimhen, as a VAR review ruled in favor of the Super eagles.
Troost-Ekong would step up from the spot with a blasted shot, with what would be the only goal of the match earning the Super Eagles a hard earned three points at the Allassane Outtara stadium.
The win means Nigeria leap-frog Ivory Coast into second place with 4 points, while Ivory Coast dropped to third with three points after one win and a loss from two matches.
The Ivory Coast now face an uphill battle as they will be hoping to avoid an exit from the tournament as the host nation, as they take on Equatorial Guinea in their final match. Equatorial Guinea currently stand top with 4 points in Group A.
A draw or a win for Nigeria against Guinea Bissau in their final match of the group will grant them qualification to the next round.
John Njuguna
