Nigeria pipped Algeria 1-0 to claim third place at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
Obinna Nsofor scored the match winner in the 55th minute when he sprinted through a crowded Algerian defense before slotting past a diving goalkeeper Lamine Zemmamouche.
This was the Super Eagles’ seventh third-place finish at the Nations Cup as they also finished third best in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
PHOTO: AFP
Nigeria made several changes from the team that lost 1-0 to Ghana in the semi-finals with Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu, Obinna Nsofor and Seyi Olofinjana among the players who started their first game of the tournament.
Algeria were missing three players suspended from their semi-final loss to Egypt.
Nigeria would have gone ahead after 10 minutes but Nsofor’s shot from inside the box was deflected by Algerian defender Slimane Raho for a corner. Kanu also fired at the Algerian goal after 31 minutes but goalkeeper Zemmamouche held it first-time.
Algeria’s best chance at goal in the first half came two minutes from the interval, when midfielder Mourad Meghni hooked his shot over the bar.
Just before the break, Nigeria again came close to going in front but Kalu Uche’s pass inside the area after a clever ball from Kanu rolled away from goal after Nsofor lost his footing at the crucial moment.
In the 50th minute, Algeria goalkeeper Zemmamouche failed to hold on to a powerful Taye Taiwo freekick from distance, the lively Nsofor got to the rebound only for his close-range effort to crash against the crossbar.
Hassan Yebda was on target in the 72nd minute but Victor Enyeama in the Nigerian goal gathered the low shot as the Algerians played with more urgency.
However, Nigeria held on to their slender advantage to take some consolation out of Angola 2010 ahead of the World Cup.
Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu said he was at least satisfied his team finished in third even though their target was to win the championship.
“The match was above average especially in the first half and we started with a little bit of fear. Any team that scored first would have won the game,” he said.
“However, we had to psyche ourselves because we needed to win the third place,” Amodu said.
“We have done well enough even though we may not have played to our full potential, but with longer preparations we can do a lot better,” he said. “We improved with each game, we were not at our best in Angola but we can be better before the World Cup.”
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