The Super Eagles of Nigeria were on Tuesday evening pipped by a lone goal in the return leg of the 2017 AFCON Group G double header against the Pharaohs of Egypt.
A 65th-minute strike from Ramadan Sobhy ensured that the Egyptians ran away with the victory in Alexandria, after Friday’s first leg at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Egyptians came close on several occasions, with goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi putting up a brilliant performance to deny them several scoring chances.
A lack of coordination in the midfield left Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo practically alone in front, with the Egyptian goalkeeper having next to nothing to do for most of the encounter.
Occasional flashes of brilliance from Victor Moses kept hope alive for the Super Eagles for most of the game, while substitute, Alex Iwobi impressed for the little time he was on the pitch.
With the result, the Egyptian have qualified for the 2017 AFCON final, with a game to spare, as Chad Republic have pulled out of the qualifiers.