Nigeria booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after edging past Mozambique in a tense, hard-fought contest that never quite turned into the free-flowing display many expected.
The Super Eagles controlled long spells of the match but struggled to turn that dominance into goals, with Mozambique staying compact and refusing to go away. Edmilson Dove and his team-mates dug in, made it difficult in midfield and asked questions on the break when chances came.
Nigeria eventually found the breakthrough they needed and, just as important, protected what they had. The back line stayed organised and the goalkeeper — a player who was previously linked with Kaizer Chiefs before being overlooked — delivered his first clean sheet of the tournament as pressure built in the closing stages.
Mozambique pushed late on as they chased an equaliser, but Nigeria managed the game well, limiting clear openings and seeing out the result to keep their AFCON campaign on track.
The win means Nigeria could be set for a quarter-final meeting with DR Congo, depending on the outcome of the remaining ties that will decide the final last-eight bracket.
Nigeria will now turn their attention to the next round, knowing tougher tests lie ahead as the tournament moves into the business end.
