AFCON 2015: Nigeria's Super Eagles Back In Contention After Beating Congo 2 - 0 At Home
Reigning
African champions, Super Eagles of Nigeria, have revived their hopes of
qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over
the Red Devils of Congo in Point Noire, Congo.
The two goals were scored by Villareal striker, Ikechukwu Uche and
China-based Aaron Samuel. The decisive victory was sufficient for the
Super Eagles to avenge a 3-2 defeat they suffered at the hands of the
Congolese national team in Calabar back in September 2014.
The Congolese team looked fit and ready to crush the Eagles during the first half, but they crumbled in the second with Nigeria playing more aggressively to take over the game.
The Nigerian side was awarded a penalty from Emmanuel Emenike’s surging run (fouled by the goalkeeper) and Samuel's sweet curling goal for Nigeria’s was the second of the game
Before the match, Congo were second in the Group A standings on seven points from four matches, three points ahead of third-placed Nigeria (only the top two teams guaranteed automatic passage to the
tournament proper).
The Red Devils also held the advantage of having beaten the Super Eagles at home 3-2 in the first encounter in September and so the favourable result today means that the Eagles have leapfrogged above the Red Devils into the second place.
Nigeria is billed to play against South Africa for the final qualification match on Wednesday at the newly built Akwa Ibom international stadium with strong hopes of making it to Equatorial Guinea next year.
