Nigeria qualified for the 2016 African Nations Championship (Chan) in Rwanda after the home-based Super Eagles drew 0-0 with Burkina Faso in the second leg of their final qualifying tie in Ouagadougou on Sunday.
Hosts Burkina Faso dominated the return leg game, but just could not translate this dominance into goals as the Eagles struggled to find their bearing and did not create chances.
A first half penalty miss represented Burkina Faso’s best chance to open the scoring before the interval but the opportunity was not taken.
And so the boast of Burkina Faso coach Idrissa Traore that his team will cancel out Nigeria’s two goals within 30 minutes of the second leg was therefore just what it was - a boast.
The Eagles starting strike force led by Sunshine Stars striker Tunde Adeniji, which also had Ezekiel Bassey and Osas Okoro, was again ineffective as was the case in the first leg in Nigeria.
Gbolahan Salami and Chisom Chikatara were introduced in the second half in an effort to pep up the Nigeria attack.
The highlight of the match was recorded in the 21st minute, when the home team Burkina Faso failed to go ahead from the penalty spot after Austin Oboroakpo handled the ball inside his own 18-yard box.
Abia Warriors defender Oboroakpo was booked for the hand ball.
Oboroakpo, who has been compared to ‘Gentle Giant’ Uche Okechukwu, was outstanding in the heart of the Eagles defence as he kept out everything Les Etalons threw at them.
Nigeria won the first leg 2-0 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium on October 17 courtesy of goals from Bature Yaro and Gbolahan Salami.
The Super Eagles thus qualified on a 2-0 aggregate and join Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, Gabon, DR Congo, Mali, Guinea, Tunisia, Morocco and the hosts Rwanda as sides that will compete at next year’s tournament.
The 2016 Chan will commence on January 16 and end on February 7.