Nigeria 1-0 Libya: Super-sub Dele-Bashiru turns up clutch for Super Eagles after big referee error

Lazio star Fisayo Dele-Bashiru got off the bench to score the solitary goal for Nigeria in their 1-0 win over Libya in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles returned to action on Friday as they welcomed the Mediterranean Knights of Libya to the Godswill Akpabio.

The Super Eagles got four points from their first two games of the qualifiers, and they were massive favorites to claim the win due to their superior quality.

In the tenth minute, Iwobi had a chance from close range as he got to a rebound in the box and fired a shot at goal. However, the Libyan goalkeeper Murad Al Wuheesi made a smart save to keep him out.

In the 16th minute, Frank Onyeka set up Victor Boniface in the box. The Bayer Leverkusen man had one player to beat and he did that effortlessly. However, another defender took the ball off his feet before he could pull the trigger.

William Troost-Ekong had the next big opportunity as he got on the end of a rebound following a save from the Libyan goalkeeper. Unfortunately, he only managed to take his shot high and wide despite being less that two meters away from goal.

The Super Eagles huffed and puffed, but they failed to score in the the first half as it ended goalless.

Nigeria started the second half on the front foot, taking the game to the Libyans and probing their stubborn backline.

In the 56th minute, Iwobi had a glorious opportunity after getting on the end of a cross from Bruno Onyemaechi. But his scuffed header just drifted wide, ensuring that the status quo remained the same.

Three minutes later, Iwobi got another big opportunity in the box after latching on to a knockdown. But he failed to connect to the ball properly and his shot flew wide off the target.

Desperate for a goal, Coach Augustine Eguavoen took off Onyeka and introduced Chukwueze in the 62nd minute. He also added Dele-Bashiru to the mix, sacrificing Iwobi in the 74th minute. That added some bite to Nigeria’s attack, but it did not yield fruits until the final ten minutes.

In the 83rd minute, Lookman put the ball in the net after a brilliant give-and-go with Chukwueze. Unfortunately, the goal was ruled out for offside. But upon the replay, the Atalanta star was actually onside. But as VAR was not in use, the action was not called back and the goal was not given.

Nonetheless, the Super Eagles were not to be denied. They eventually got their goal in the 85th minute. Moses Simon did a great job on the left side of Nigeria’s attack creating some space for himself after some lovely foot work.

He then sent a cross into the box, which Fisayo Dele-Bashiru latched on to and struck a well-placed shot into the net to make it 1-0.

FT in Uyo. Nigeria( 86’ Dele-Bashiru ) 1-0 Libya #SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/GZbithxkHi

— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 11, 2024

That was all the Super Eagles needed to claim all three points on the night. It eventually ended 1-0 in Nigeria’s favour.