Considered one of the strongest African teams in the World Cup, Nigeria was eliminated by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The match ended 1-1 in regular time, and after the penalty shootout, it was Sébastien Desabre’s side who emerged victorious.
Nigeria started the match quickly. In the 3rd minute, Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka put his team ahead 1-0. However, in the 32nd minute, Alanyaspor’s Meschack Elia equalized for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since no additional goals were scored in regular time or extra time, the match went to penalties. DR Congo’s goalkeeper Lionel M’Pasi delivered a strong performance in the shootout, sending his team through to the next round.
However, DR Congo still faces the possibility of missing out on the tournament. They will play one more playoff round, and if they succeed there, they will become the 10th team to qualify for the World Cup.
Victor Osimhen, who was substituted after playing in the first half, was seen struggling to walk as he left the pitch. No information has yet been provided regarding the severity of his injury.