The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated the Squirrels of Benin Republic by a lone goal on Saturday to secure their qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Cameroon next year.
The injury time goal by Paul Onuachu at the Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto Novo, ensured that the three time African champions retained top spot in Group L.
With one match remaining in the qualifiers, Nigeria now has 11 points, followed by Benin Republic with 7 points.
Earlier in the day, a barren draw between Lesotho and Sierra Leone in the group’s other match had already cleared Nigeria’s passage to the tournament.
Nigeria’s final AFCON qualifying match will be against Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos.
CAF had recently increased the number of groups from 4 to 6, meaning the number of teams that will participate in the continental showpiece has increased from 16 to 24.
Of the teams that have qualified for the Mundial, Gambia and Comoros Islands will be making their debut in the competition with Nigeria set to make her 19th appearance at the tournament.
AFCON 2021: Nigeria Defeats Benin to qualify
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