By Akinwale Kasali
Since 2013, the record remained unbroken. No team has beaten the Squirrels of Benin Republic at home from then. But on Saturday, March 27, in front of their teeming fans, the Super Eagles of Nigeria broke the record.
With a last minute goal, the Super Eagles punctured the pride of the Squirrels. It took a last minute goal from Genk Football Club of Belgium Striker, Paul Onuachu, to do that, thus earning the Super Eagles a place at the 2022 African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.
The team played the whole 90 minutes and an additional four minutes, before the Super Eagles could beat the Squirrels of Benin Republic goalkeeper, to win the energy-sapping encounter.
With a match to spare, the National team have 11 Points from Five matches, availing them the opportunity to gun for a Fourth African Cup of Nations tournament title.
Benin Republic now has Sierra Leone to contend with for the second spot to qualify for the African showpiece in their last match to be played in Freetown.
A win will give Sierra Leone the ticket, while a draw will salvage Benin Republic to appear at the mundial.
Though, the Coach Gernot Rohr Super Eagles team had already qualified for the Continental showpiece without kicking a ball, following the 0-0 Stalemate between the Crocodiles of Lesotho and the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone, to dash the hope of the Leostho team.
Both Lesotho and Sierra Leone played earlier before the match between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
However, the last match of the Super Eagles against the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria will just be mere formality, and will also enable Coach Rohr to give new invitees a chance to showcase their lethal skills and gun for a shirt in the national team.
