Ekong scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute, raising Nigeria’s tally to 4 points, equal to that of Equatorial Guinea, which beat Guinea Bissau 4-2 earlier today, while Ivory Coast’s tally stopped at 3 points.
The Nigerian team dealt a painful blow to the Ivory Coast team and its fans early in the second half, when they were awarded a penalty kick after the Algerian match referee, Mustafa Ghorbal, reviewed the video assistant technology, from which he scored the lead goal through Ekong with a powerful shot almost in the middle of the goal.
The Nigerian team entered the atmosphere over time and imposed its attacking superiority for a few minutes and threatened the home team’s goal, especially through its star Victor Osimhen. But all attempts in the first half failed, and it ended in a goalless draw.
The group decision was thus postponed until the third and final round. The Ivory Coast national team will meet with Equatorial Guinea, and the Nigeria national team will meet with Guinea Bissau, which is in fourth place without a score.