Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen were the goalscorers as Nigeria beat a stubborn Sierra Leone side to kick off their AFCON 2023 campaign with a 2-1 win.
The victory also gave Jose Peseiro is first win as Nigeria's manager following losses to Mexico and Ecuador.
Nigeria recovered from Sierra Leone's bright start
The Sierra Leoneans came into the match as the underdogs, but they refused to be intimidated, starting on the front foot. Their positive start resulted in a goal as Jonathan Morsay put them ahead in the 11th-minute of the encounter.
Morsay headed home a brilliant cross from Musa Noah Kamara, who had done well to beat William Troost-Ekong on the left flank.
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3 lessons learnt from Nigeria's 2-1 win against Sierra Leone
Despite going ahead, John Keister's men refused to sit back as they continued to cause trouble for the Tthe Super Eagles. The Leone Stars were dangerous on the break and should have doubled their advantage after carving out the Super Eagles defence.
However, Morsay's effort was tipped onto the post by Francis Uzoho. The miss proved costly as Jose Peseiro's men restored parity minutes later, courtesy of a strike from Alex Iwobi.
The Everton man drew Nigeria level in the 16th-minute with a well-composed finish following a pass from Moses Simon.
Iwobi's strike brought the Super Eagles to life. The three-time African champions dominated possession afterwards and could have taken the lead through Simon, but the Nantes' man header was dealt with by the Sierra Leone goalkeeper.
However, Peseiro's men finally found their second goal a minute before the second half through Victor Osimhen, who stabbed home from close range after latching on to a header from Simon.
His goal ensured Nigeria went into the break with a 2-1 lead. The second half resumed the same way the first ended, with Nigeria on the front foot.
No goal in the second half despite Nigeria's pressure
The Super Eagles had many opportunities to extend their lead, with Chukwueze missing a glorious chance after he was set up by Osimhen.
They were almost made to pay for the missed opportunities as Sierra Leone piled on late pressure. However, the three-time African champions held on to kickstart their AFCON 2023 qualifying campaign with a win and hand Peseiro his first victory as Nigeria's coach.