Qualifiers: Super Eagles Beat Liberia 2-0, Move One Step Away From World Cup Play-Off
Super Eagles of Nigeria are leading Lone Star of Liberia in the first half of their penultimate match of the group phase of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying race in Tangier on Saturday evening.
Victor Osimhen scored a penalty in the 15th minute to put Eagles ahead – 1-0.
Victory in today’s game, and failure by Cape Verde to amass all three points against Central African Republic on the island of Mindelo, will send the Super Eagles to the knockout round of the qualifying series with a game to spare.
Super Eagles will have their final group phase encounter against Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks in Lagos on Tuesday.
Nigeria are on nine points, two more than Cape Verde, meaning another three points and any form of stumble by the Blue Sharks will make the Super Eagles unassailable going into the final match on Tuesday.
Only the group winners will proceed to the knockout phase that will be a home-and-away exercise to produce Africa’s five flagbearers in Qatar.
Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks, who host Central Africa Republic in Mindelo, have seven points and will be hoping the Super Eagles stumble in North Africa.
However, Cape Verde are losing 1-0 to CAR as of half-time.
The Super Eagles have sailed through the hurdle in their last three major qualifying campaigns with matches to spare, and seem confident they could reach the knockout round before the final day of the qualifiers by beating Liberia, and hoping Cape Verde are unhinged on home soil by the Beasts.
Nigeria reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals with a match to spare; a feat repeated in the qualifying series for the 2019 AFCON. For the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the Super Eagles qualified with two matches to spare.
The Lone Star, bottom of Group C of the African series with three points, have a very remote chance of qualifying even though they play their final two matches at ‘home’ in Tangier, which is the venue they opted for as home ground after CAF ruled that there is no venue in the whole of Liberia fit and proper to host international matches.
Nigeria, the Lone Star’s opponents on Saturday and group leaders, already have nine points (the maximum that the Lone Star can amass in this campaign, if they win their last two matches).
Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks, with seven points, are at home to the Beasts on the island of Mindelo, hoping to garner another three points that could make the final Group C encounter with Nigeria in Lagos a cliff-hanger.
– The PUNCH
