Nigeria and Mozambique met in their African Nations Championship Group A clash at Cape Town Stadium.
Both sides were in dire need of a victory to keep their hopes of qualifying from the group stages alive, after being beaten in their respective opening matches.
It was the Super Eagles who kept their hopes alive with a convincing 4-2 win over Mozambique, as a controversial penalty in the second half proved too much for Joao Chissano's side to overcome.
Read below to see how all the action unfolded.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the African Nations Championship clash between Nigeria and Mozambique.
Both sides are in dire need of a win to kick start their campaigns in the tournament as they trail South Africa and Mali by four points after those teams drew earlier today.
The teams have just been announced and we'll start with the Super Eagles.
NIGERIA STARTING XI: Kwambe, Egweukwe, Odunlami, Eseme, Shehu, Uzochukwu, Ali, Uzoenyi, Ede, Salami.
NIGERIA SUBS: Akpeyi, Alampasu, Pyagbara, Imenger, Aliyu, Ikechukwu, Zango, Ibiozor, Obijo, Obanor.
MOZAMBIQUE STARTING XI: Soarito, Monis, Khan, Miocha, Miro, Josemar, Manuelito, Kito, Diogo, Mario, Maninho.
MOZAMBIQUE SUBS: Pinto, Timana, Mazive, Gabito, Belito, Sonito, Chico, Manuel, Pilale, Lanito, Bernardo, Alvarvito.
Joao Chissano has made four changes to his side from their defeat to South Africa as Chico, Sonito, Lanito and Alarvito all may way, as Maninho, Mario, Manuelito and Miocha come into the lineup. Nigeria are missing a lot of key players in this tournament including John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses and Victor Obinna, so they have put faith in younger players to test out in the competition.
Just a note on how these sides qualified for the tournament. Mozambique overcame Angola in their Southern Zone qualifying game, while Nigeria beat the Ivory Coast in their Zone West B encounter.
The players are making their way out onto the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
We're underway in this Group A clash.
CHANCE! A ball over the top of the Mozambique defence finds Salami in all sorts of space and he races through on goal, he tries to lob the ball over the on-rushing Soarito but the keeper makes the block with his chest to make the save and keep the scores level in these early stages.
Mozambique are seeing plenty of the ball but are yet to do anything with it as they've overhit two long passes over the head of Mario giving him no chance to pursue, with Miro and Diogo the guilty parties.
Soarito is called into action again as a long ball forward interests the run of Salami but the keeper does well to go above the striker to claim the swerving ball and gather under pressure.
GOAL! Nigeria 0-1 Mozambique (Dario Khan)
Mozambique take the lead in spectacular fashion as they win a free kick 35 yards from goal and Dario Khan lets fly with an ambitious effort which sails over Agbim and into the top corner of the net, as he rifled the ball with power as the keeper was trying to organise his defence.
GOAL! Nigeria 1-1 Mozambique (Ede)
Nigeria get back into the game immediately as they win a throw-in down the left deep in Mozambique territory and Esieme throws the ball deep into the box and Uzoenyi flicks the ball to the back post where Ede is there unmarked and he volleys the ball first time into the bottom corner of the net.
GOAL! Nigeria 2-1 Mozambique (Ali)
What a crazy few minutes as Nigeria take the lead. Chico makes a crucial slip on the edge of the area and Ali robs him of the ball and before Khan can get across to tackle him, he shoots at goal and his effort is too powerful for Soarito to keep out and it goes just over the line as the keeper got two hands to the ball. What a game.
CHANCE! Mozambique come within inches of getting an equaliser as Manuelito races down the middle of the field and has a pathway to goal but Agbim comes out to narrow the angle and he makes the stop with his feet and Kunle clears the ball before it goes out for a corner.
GOAL! Nigeria 2-2 Mozambique (Diogo)
Mozambique do get their leveller this time as Manuelito raids forward and he slides a through ball for the run of Diogo down the right, Agbim comes out to try and cut the ball off but he misses it and leaves the midfielder with a simple finish into an empty net. Crazy game so far.
A calmer few minutes as the game looks to settle down after the most frenetic start to a match I can ever remember as both teams seemed to have forgotten how to defend properly. The pace of the match has slowed with Nigeria opting for a possession game at the moment.
There's confusion in the Mozamique defence as a long ball into the box troubles Chico and nearly allows Ede to take control of the ball in the penalty area, but the striker can't make good contact with the ball and the defender is able to clear and breath a sigh of relief.
Execution has suffered in the last few minutes as the passes aren't as crisp as they were in the opening 20 minutes, the pace of that spell seems to have taken the wind out of some of the players on the field. Caution is the name of the game for both sides at the moment.
Salami raids down the right for the Super Eagles and puts in a dangerous cross and Khan does well to head the ball away from danger, but Nigeria look to threaten again as the ball floats on the edge of the area, but Ede kills the attack as he fouls Kito.
A lot of cheap free kicks are being conceded at the moment which is stifling the game as neither side can build up an attacking rhythm, it's Nigeria who are more guilty as Ede along with Uzoenyi down the left are trying to hard to win the ball upfield by applying too much pressure on the Mozambique backline.
Mozambique look dangerous down the left as Diogo drifts across and beats a challenge before he feeds the ball to Miro, who whips a low cross into the penalty area and Egwuekwe, who doesn't know who or what is behind him, just boots the ball behind for a corner.
Nigeria stand firm from the corner as Kwambe heads the ball behind at the near post from the first effort from the left and then from Diogo's second ball in, the Super Eagles clear with ease to quell the attack.
Stephen Keshi's side have lost all their momentum from earlier in the game, they're struggling in the attacking third of the pitch now as Monis stops the cross from the left from Uzoenyi and forces him inside and then wins the ball as the winger goes to ground. Some frustration creeping into the play of the Super Eagles.
A late chance to get another goal before half time for the Super Eagles as Mario fouls Shehu 35 yards from goal and the midfielder will lift a free kick into the box.
Kunle and Egwuekwe go up from the back for the free kick but they have a wasted journey as Ede is flagged offside from Shehu's kick and that should be that for the first half.
HALF-TIME: Nigeria 2-2 Mozambique
After a crazy opening 20 minutes of the game, where four goals were scored Nigeria and Mozambique go into the break level. Khan started off the proceedings with a fantastic free kick as he smashed the ball past an unprepared Agimba, while the Super Eagles responded immediately on errors in the Mozambique defence to take the lead through strikes from Ede and Ali. But back came Chissano's side with a goal from Diogo to level things up.
Defending appeared to be an afterthought in the opening 20 minutes but after the initial burst both teams seemed to get a grip at the back as the tempo slowed. It will be interesting to see if that lasts if the speed of the game returns.
We're back underway in this Group A clash.
Ede gets in behind the Mozambique defence and is brought down in the penalty area by Monis but the referee and the lineman make the decision that the striker was offside before he even got into the box and award a free kick to Mozambique.
A corner comes in from the right from Nigeria and the ball falls into the path Salami but Khan is there to make the block, and then Ede tries to shoot but another block is made by the Mozambique defence and they get the ball clear to the edge of the penalty area.
PENALTY TO NIGERIA!!
Nigeria are awarded a penalty as a strike from the edge of the area by Uzoenyi is adjudged to have been handled by Kahn in the box, although the ball hit him in the chest with his arms behind his back. A terrible decision by the referee but the Super Eagles have the chance to take the lead.
GOAL! Nigeria 3-2 Mozambique (Ali)
Ali steps up to take the penalty and makes no mistake firing his effort into the top corner of the net, sending Soarito the wrong way. Nigeria lead in controversial circumstances.
Mozambique are struggling to get into a rhythm now following the award of that controversial spot kick, they could be in danger of crashing out of the competition if they can't get a result this evening. They need to find some resilience from somewhere to get back into this one.
Josemar picks up the ball in midfield and decides to drive at the Nigeria defence, he gets to the edge of the area with teammates in support but he opts to shoot at goal and scuffs his effort wide of the post.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Monis and Diogo come off for Mozambique and are replaced by Mazive and Lanito.
Nigeria threaten down the right again and Salami wins a free kick right on the edge of the area in the right channel as the ball hits the hand of Miro as the winger tried to get past him.
CHANCE! Khan gets up to clear the initial danger from the free kick from the right but from the second ball into the area from Uzoenyi from the left, he finds Ede unmarked in the box but he can only head his effort over the bar from six yards out.
The tempo of the game ha dropped right off again, as Nigeria seem quite happy to let Mozambique come onto them and attempt to hit them on the counter attack. That tactic appears to be working for the Super Eagles at the moment.
SHOT! Uzoenyi raids forward and cuts inside onto his right foot and drills an effort at goal, which takes an obvious deflection wide of the post and should be a corner, but the referee points for a goal kick. It's been a strange game of the officials.
CHANCE! Nigeria have the chance to wrap up the game as Uzoenyi beats his man down the left and crosses for Ede who takes a swing at the ball unmarked in the area and misses, but the cross continues to Salami at the back post, who shoots but Miro makes a block on the line, but the ball keeps moving towards goal and he does well to get up and clear again before the winger could pounce.
The Mozambique players looks quite heavy legged out there and they haven't created a great deal to get back into the game after falling behind. They could be set for one last effort to try and keep themselves in the competition.
Mazive is brought down deep in Nigerian territory down the right-hand side of the pitch and this will give Mozambique a chance to get an equaliser.
CHANCE! Miro powers a shot at goal from the free kick and it travels right across the face of goal and would need only a touch to beat Agbim, but no player in a red shirt can make contact with the ball and it goes out for a goal kick.
You have to wonder, whether that was Mozambique's last chance to get anything out of the game as from open play Nigeria look pretty solid in defence and have done for the majority of the second half.
GOAL! Nigeria 4-2 Mozambique (Imenger)
Nigeria kill the game off as they get their fourth goal of the game, as Imenger comes off the bench and with practically his first touch runs onto a through ball from Kwambe and lifts the ball over Soarito into the net. An excellent finish and Mozambique will be heading out of the competition.
There will be four minutes of added time.
The game is slowly petering to a finish here, we're just waiting for the clock to reach 94 minutes as Mozambique have nothing left to give.
FULL-TIME: Nigeria 4-2 Mozambique
Nigeria get the win they so desperately need to kick start their African Nations Championship campaign as a brace from Ali and strikes from Ede and Imenger hand them victory over Mozambique, who despite taking the lead for the second-straight game, fall to defeat and as a result crash out of the competition.
The Super Eagles response after going behind was impressive and although they were handed a gift of a penalty in the second half when Khan was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, they took the chances on offer and deserve their win. It was tough on Mozambique but they didn't create the chances they needed to get a positive result out of the match.
Thanks for joining our live commentary this evening. We'll be back tomorrow with action from the Group B games, until then goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
