The Super Eagles of Nigeria advanced to the 2022 AFCON tournament in Cameroon after Lesotho held Sierra Leone to a stalemate 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Nigeria would still face Benin Republic and later, Lesotho in a double dead rubber encounter to round off the qualification phase.
Nigeria kicked off their qualification campaign on a high, beating Lesotho 4-2 and Benin 2-1 to go top of Group L. However, Rohr’s men struggled in subsequent matches; recording back to back draws against Sierra Leone.
In the build up to to the showdown in Benin, recall that coach of the Nigeria national team Gernot Rohr had earlier expressed displeasure with the way his team was received in Port Novo for the game against the Squirrels.
All hope is not lost for Sierra Leone, as they will now battle Benin Republic for the remaining slot pending on the outcome of Super Eagles and Squirrels clash.
A win for Benin will see them go four points clear of third placed Sierra Leone, and send them straight to the competition, but a draw will only see them wait for the test in Freetown.
Nigeria will be making an 18th appearance in the continental showpiece since 1963 when they debuted.
Super Eagles have won the AFCON three times in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
