Nigeria left it late to maintain their unbeaten record in Group D after edging Libya 1-0 in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru stepped off the bench to score an 86th-minute winner as the Mediterranean Knights' resolve was finally broken, having sat deeper and deeper at the match began to wind down.
Augustine Eguavoen's side stayed a point clear of second-placed Benin, who defeated Rwanda 3-0 earlier in the day, leaving Libya at the bottom of the group.
FT in Uyo. Nigeria( 86’ Dele-Bashiru ) 1-0 Libya #SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/GZbithxkHi
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 11, 2024
Nigeria bossed proceedings in Uyo and created plenty of chances, but they didn't test Murad Al Wuheeshi nearly enough in the first half.
William Troost-Ekong at least managed to hit the target in the opening 20 minutes, although their best opportunity arrived in the 39th minute when Alex Iwobi forced Al Wuheeshi into a save from inside the box following good work on the left from Bruno Onyemaechi.
Victor Boniface also threatened in stoppage time with a header that took a deflection off a defender and went out for a corner after another fine delivery from Onyemaechi on the left.
Iwobi wasn't able to direct his header on target after getting on the end of Onyemaechi's cross from the left byline on 56 minutes and the Fulham star fired a snapshot over the crossbar three minutes later from Moses Simon's downward header inside the area.
Al Wuheeshi denied the hosts once more on 72 minutes as he stuck out a leg to stop Samuel Chukwueze after he had been played into space on the right.
Chukwueze got off another shot from the edge of the box on 76 minutes after receiving the ball from Lookman, but Al Wuheeshi was well placed to make a comfortable save.
However, the pressure finally told with four minutes left on the clock as Moses advanced towards the area from the left and picked out Dele-Bashiru, who guided a first-time shot into the back of the net from 14 yards out.
Nigeria (0) 1 (Dele-Bashiru 86')
Libya (0) 0
Nigeria: S. Nwabali, B. Onyemaechi, W. Troost-Ekong, C. Bassey, O. Aina, W. Ndidi (R. Onyedika 74'), F. Onyeka (S. Chukwueze 61'), M. Simon, A. Iwobi (F. Dele-Bashiru 74'), A. Lookman (S. Ajayi 90+2'), V. Boniface (T. Awoniyi 74').
Libya: M. Al Wuheeshi, M. Alshiteewi, A. Musrati, M. Arteeba, S. Al Dawi, M. Madyen, S. Shafshuf (O. Al Shuraimi 64'), S. bin Ali (A. Saleh 86'), N. Al Qulaib (A. Al Meehoub 64'), B. Hassan, A. Ekrawa (E. El Mariamy 64').