Afrigather 
The three-time winners trailed momentarily within the encounter however fought again to earn a share of the spoils
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen scored Nigeria’s equaliser as a wasteful Tremendous Eagles battled to a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea of their opening Group A match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reviews.
Iban Salvador gave the Nationwide Thunder the lead within the thirty sixth, however Osimhen struck the equaliser for Nigeria moments later as each groups failed to seek out the profitable objective afterward.
The way it occurred
Coach Jose Peseiro handed AFCON debuts to goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili and Alhassan Yusuf, with Victor Osimhen main the assault and William Troost-Ekong captaining the facet.
With Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon flanking Osimhen and Alex Iwobi proper behind them, Nigeria began on the entrance foot, creating a couple of alternatives to attain.
Osimhen shot excessive from the sting of the field whereas Zaidu Sanusi fired extensive with the objective extensive open.
With Nigeria failing to take their probabilities, Equatorial Guinea grew into the encounter, and the Nationwide Thunder broke the impasse following a phenomenal group transfer.
Jose Machin evaded the eye of Iwobi earlier than establishing Iban Edu Salvador, who despatched a curling effort into Nwabili’s backside left nook.
Equatorial Guinea followers have been nonetheless celebrating that objective when Lookman and Osimhen mixed to equalise for Nigeria.
The Atalanta man dribbled previous his marker earlier than floating a cross, which Osimhen headed dwelling to make it 1-1 within the thirty eighth minute.
Simon got here near giving Nigeria the lead in first-half stoppage time, however goalkeeper Jesús Owono parried the hassle onto the goalpost for a nook kick.
Nothing separated the 2 groups on the break, however the Tremendous Eagles have been again at it from the blast of the whistle within the second half.
Once more, missed alternatives characterised Nigeria’s sport, with Aina, Sanusi, and Osimhen seeing their pictures saved out by the goalkeeper inside the first ten minutes.
After a prolonged interval of midfield tussle between the 2 groups, Nigeria gained a slight higher hand and will have gotten the profitable objective when Osimhen pounced on an Iwobi cross to go one-on-one with the goalie.
Nonetheless, the Africa Participant of the Yr shot extensive when it seemed a lot simpler to seek out the web.
Regardless of the introduction of Joe Aribo, Samuel Chukwieze, and Paul Onuachu within the closing levels, Nigeria didn’t discover a winner.
The Tremendous Eagles will subsequent commerce tackles with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, who defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-0 of their first match on Saturday.
