đź”— Share this article Nigeria Book Afcon Last 16 Spot In Spite of Late Tunisia Fightback Ex- Continent's Best Player of the Year Victor Osimhen helped his team build a 3-0 lead, before the Super Eagles were compelled to defend resolutely for a hard-fought victory. The three-time champions weathered a dramatic comeback attempt from Tunisia to progress to the knockout stage of the Afcon tournament being held in Morocco. Jose Peseiro's side appeared to be cruising in their Group C encounter in the Moroccan city, holding a 3-0 lead with just a quarter of an hour remaining courtesy of strikes from their attacking trio. Yet, a Tunisian defender pulled one back with a close-range finish from a Manchester United midfielder free-kick, sparking hopes of a recovery. The tension intensified when Tunisia were given a spot-kick after a video assistant referee review identified a handling offense by the Nigerian defender. Ali Abdi calmly slotted home in the 87th minute to create a nail-biting conclusion. Tunisia came agonizingly close from a stunning leveler in added time, with captain Ferjani Sassi directing a opportunity narrowly wide before a substitute guided a half-volley past the goal frame. Clinching Top Spot This result means that Nigeria, winners of the tournament on 3 past instances, move to six group points and are assured first place in their pool with one game still to play. For the round of 16, they will face a third-placed side from one of Group A, B or F. In the other match, the 2004 champions stay on 3 group points, with Uganda and Tanzania tied on one point each after playing out a 1-1 stalemate earlier on Saturday. The final pool fixtures will see the group leaders remain in Fes to play Uganda on the next matchday, while the Eagles of Carthage travel back to Rabat to face the Taifa Stars. An Anxious Conclusion The Tunisian defender smashed home from the penalty spot to give Tunisia hope of snatching a draw. Nigeria, finalists in the 2023 edition, become the next nation after the Pharaohs to qualify for the next phase, but their manager and supporters will certainly be breathing a sigh of relief. What seemed set to be a comfortable last period morphed into a tense affair. The prolific striker had a effort ruled out for offside before opening the scoring right before half-time, precisely placing a glancing effort into the far post from an Ademola Lookman delivery. The lead was doubled early in the second half when the Leicester City midfielder climbed above everyone to thump in a header from a set-piece kick. Osimhen then turned provider Lookman for the third goal, before Montassar Talbi to steer a header past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to begin the fightback. The key incident arrived when a looping cross struck the arm of the full-back, with referee Boubou Traore awarding a penalty after reviewing the pitchside screen. Despite the defender's successful penalty, the 2004 champions in the end came up just short of pulling off a remarkable comeback. Their fate is still in their control; a draw against Tunisia will be enough to secure progression, and their coach will be eager to avoid a repeat of the past group-stage exit that led to his departure.