Zagreb: Nigeria staged a second-half comeback to beat Kenya on Saturday and snatch a place at next year`s World Cup finals from rivals Tunisia.
Obafemi Martins scored twice as Nigeria came from behind to beat Kenya 3-2 in Nairobi while Tunisia lost to a late goal in Mozambique after starting the final round of matches two points clear in the Group B standings.
Nigeria leapfrogged Tunisia to win the group by a single point and qualify for the World Cup for a fourth time.
Nigeria had been behind at half-time after a 15th-minute goal from Denis Oliech while Tunisia looked content to play a defensive game against their Mozambican hosts.But the group was turned on its head in the second half of both matches, played simultaneously, as Nigeria fought back to go 2-1 ahead with Martins equalising on the hour mark and then Everton striker Yabuku Aiyegbeni scoring just three minutes later.
The match in Nairobi was stopped for several minutes after a barrage of bottles were thrown from an angry home crowd but when Allen Wetende brought back the score to 2-2 in the 79th minute, Kenyan jeers turned back to cheers.
Martins then grabbed the winner for Nigeria in the 83rd minute at around the same time as Mozambique finally broke down the Tunisian defence and atoned for several glaring misses throughout the game in Maputo with a goal from veteran striker Dario.
The 84th-minute winner from Dario ensured Mozambique finished third in the group and qualified for January`s African Nations Cup finals in Angola.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.