In a tightly contested match at Ebimpe's Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium, Equatorial Guinea held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in their opening Group A match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023).
Equatorial Guinea took the lead in the 36th minute with a composed finish by Ivan Salvador, stunning the Super Eagles.
However, Nigeria quickly responded as Victor Osimhen levelled the score with a difficult header into an empty net.
Despite the crowd rallying behind them, Nigeria couldn't capitalize on several opportunities, with Moses Simon's well-struck effort hitting the upright just before halftime.
The second half saw both teams maintaining defensive discipline, resulting in few threats to either goal.
The draw leaves Nigeria with a point in Group A, with their next crucial match against tournament hosts, Cote d'Ivoire, who secured a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in their opening fixture.
Buoyed by the positive result, Equatorial Guinea will face Guinea-Bissau in their next encounter.
Group A Standings
As it stands, Cote d'Ivoire leads Group A, while Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria share a point above Guinea-Bissau.
