Nigeria secured a close victory over the Ivory Coast with a solitary goal in the second half, as William Troost-Ekong converted a penalty kick to give the Super Eagles a 1-0 lead over the home team.

Nigeria’s William Troost-Ekong was the hero of the match as he celebrated putting his side 1-0 up against Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations. Troost-Ekong’s penalty secured victory for Nigeria and swung Group A back in the Super Eagles’ favor.

After drawing their opening game against Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria were determined to secure a win in this match. The victory came after a debatable second-half penalty when Ousmane Diomande was deemed to have clipped Victor Osimhen. Troost-Ekong stepped up to score from the spot, giving Nigeria the lead.

Nigeria were able to hold off Ivory Coast for the rest of the match and secure the win, moving them into second place in the group. Equatorial Guinea remains at the top and will face Ivory Coast in their next match, while Nigeria will face Guinea-Bissau.

With third place potentially enough to qualify for the knockout stage, all three teams in Group A still have a chance to progress. However, the pressure is now on Ivory Coast as they head into their final group stage matches.

One talking point from the match was the performance of Nigeria’s star striker, Victor Osimhen. While he earned the penalty that won them the game, Osimhen missed a golden opportunity in the first half and had a frustrating evening overall. Nigeria will need more from him if they want to go far in the tournament.

The player of the match was awarded to Calvin Bassey of Fulham. The defender put in a solid performance and was a key part of Nigeria’s victory.

In terms of player ratings, Ivory Coast’s Y. Fofana and Nigeria’s Nwabali both received a rating of 6. Troost-Ekong and Bassey were among the highest-rated players, both receiving a rating of 7 and 8 respectively.

The match had several highlights, including a missed chance by Osimhen in the 8th minute and a save by Nwabali in the 17th minute. The crucial moment came in the 53rd minute when a penalty was awarded to Nigeria after a VAR check. Troost-Ekong stepped up and scored the winning goal.

A key stat from the match is that this was Troost-Ekong’s fifth goal for Nigeria.