AFCON qualifier: Super Eagles record another draw in Freetown

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a draw (0-0) against Sierra Leone in their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match in Freetown on Tuesday.

The stalemate at the Siaka Stevens stadium is the second in about four days against the same team.

The Eagles had surrendered a four-goal lead to draw 4-4 against the Leone Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Edo on Friday.

With the top two teams qualifying for the next AFCON tournament, a win over Sierra Leone would have put the Nigerian team within touching distance of a ticket to Cameroon.

The Super Eagles came into the encounter as group L leaders, having picked up seven points from three matches.

The two West African teams both created some opportunities in the early exchanges, but they were very wasteful in front of goal.

The visitors asked plenty of questions through the attack led by Kelechi Iheanacho, but their efforts failed to beat Mohamed Kamara, the Sierra Leone goalkeeper, in the first half.

While Samuel Chukwueze had a good chance on goal in the 16th minute, Kei Kamara also had his moments too that failed to go past Maduka Okoye who was commanding compared to his shambolic display in Benin city last Friday.

The three-time African champions were dealt a crushing blow when Oghenekaro Etebo was injured and taken off for Shehu Abdullahi.

In the second half, the Super Eagles came alive as Chukwueze laid a pass to Iheanacho who sent it over the bar.

The lively Iheanacho, thereafter, scored with a lovely header but the effort was ruled out as offside.

An attempt from Joe Aribo also went over the bar as the Super Eagles pressed for the first goal.

The visitors’ push for a win failed to yield a result as it ended in a goalless draw.

In the end, both teams seemed contented to settle for a point apiece with tough matches to look forward to in the new year.

TheCable had earlier reported how Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), charged the national team to beat Sierra Leone by four goals to nothing in Freetown — in the wake of the criticism that trailed the first leg.