Nigeria came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their first Group Stage fixture of the African Cup of Nations qualification. The match ended at the Stade de l'Amitié on Thursday evening, with the Super Eagles extending their unbeaten run to eight after a win to go with two draws and two defeats across five recent outings.
Madagascar took the lead when Ehsan Kari found the net in the sixteenth minute, a moment that caught the hosts off guard. To be fair, the visitors had been more direct in their approach, but Nigeria quickly grew into the game and levelled before the break. George Ilenikhena headed home in the forty-fifth minute to silence any lingering doubt.
The second half belonged to Nigeria, who threw bodies in the way of Madagascar's counter-attacks and gradually stretched the back line. Moses Usor put them ahead in the sixty-fifth minute, and the visitors never really threatened to equalise after that. Ademola Lookman picked up a yellow card in the fifty-seventh, but the Nigerian midfield held firm.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the hour mark. Akor Adams and Samuel Chukwueze came on together for Nigeria in the sixty-first, while Madagascar brought on El Hadari Raheriniaina in the sixty-seventh. By then, the game was largely settled, though both managers made further changes to see it out.
The statistics tell the story of a match that was never really in doubt after the break. Nigeria registered 114 attacks to Madagascar's 79 and dominated possession at 55 per cent. Shots accuracy was poor on both sides, but Nigeria's volume of attempts — 18 within the penalty area alone — eventually told.
Recent form gives some context to the result. Nigeria have been inconsistent, drawing with Poland and Jordan before beating Zimbabwe 2-0, while Madagascar's 0-4 defeat to Morocco in June stands out as a low point. They had found some rhythm against Kyrgyzstan and Equatorial Guinea, but this fixture showed the gap in quality.
The three points keep Nigeria in contention for the tournament. Group dynamics will shift as more matches are played, but for now the Super Eagles have shown they can respond when needed. The old head settled them down after the early setback, and that is what matters in these qualifiers.
