By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria secured a ticket to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations finals (the continent’s flagship football championship) for the 21^st time after a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in Abidjan on Thursday that still put the Cheetahs’ prospects for qualification on the wire.

The game played under driving rain inside the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny produced a number of interesting moments, but the biggest was when Victor Osimhen celebrated wildly as his 81^st minute header that sailed past goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou not only secured Nigeria’s first place in the group, but also put him at par with the legendary Olusegun Odegbami in goals’ tally for Nigeria. Both are now joint second to the top man, Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) who scored 37 goals in 58 matches.

Osimhen’s goal, in which he profited from a pinpoint cross from Moses Simon, and restored parity on the night after Mohamed Tijani’s goal for the Cheetahs in the 16^th minute, was his 23^rd for the senior team. Odegbami, the former captain of the team who took the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations finals by the scruff, scored his 23 goals in 46 matches.

The downpour ushered the two teams into a game of two halves, with the Cheetahs keeping possession and running rings round the Super Eagles for large swathes of the first period. However, Tijani’s header from a cross by the vibrant Junior Olaitan that found the net by going through the legs of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, was against the run of play.

Minutes earlier, Alex Iwobi had miscued when Osimhen headed down the ball for him from Bruno Onyemaechi’s cross, and Osimhen himself was foiled by Dandjinou just before the Cheetahs struck at the other end.

Nwabali was alert to punch away as Olaitan broke loose three minutes later, and it was ding-dong until four minutes before the break, when Osimhen should have scored from a brilliant Onyemaechi cross, only to watch the ball roll away from goal after his header.

In the 55^th minute, Ademola Lookman and Osimhen caused anxious moments at the Benin Republic rear, but Olaitan also got close after Captain William Ekong and Olaoluwa Aina fumbled with the ball down the line. Onyemaechi, coming forward a lot, saw his shot roll agonizingly away from goal just after the hour, and Osimhen headed wide away in the 74^th minute as the Cheetahs began to nurse hopes of a win.

Osimhen had other ideas. His goal sent the Super Eagles to Morocco 2025 as group winners, and ensured the Eagles remain unbeaten in the AFCON qualification campaign going into their last game of the series, against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday.

Rwanda, with five points from their five games after an unexpected 1-0 loss to Libya in Kigali also on Thursday, must beat the Super Eagles in Uyo and hope that Libya overwhelm Benin Republic in Tripoli on Monday, to spring to second place and collect the second ticket to the finals from Group D.

“It was a tough game and I congratulate the players for a spirited display in the second half that earned us the equalizer. The downpour made the game difficult for both teams, but I am happy we have the AFCON finals ticket in the bag ahead of the final game of the series against Rwanda in Uyo on Monday,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen said.