A late Paul Onuachu’s strike secured the three points as Super Eagles defeated the Squirrels of Benin Republic by 1-0 in their African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stade Charles de Gaulle stadium on Saturday.

Gernot Rohr’s men failed to find the back of the net after 90 minutes despite coming close through Victor Osimhen who nicked the bar in the second half.

It took a late strike from supersub, Paul Onuachu, who replaced Kelechi Iheanacho to steal the win for Nigeria.

The Eagles had already sealed their spot at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations before kick-off, thanks to a goalless draw between Lesotho and Sierra Leone in the early kick-off in Group L.

As it stands, Lesotho can no longer qualify for next year’s tournament in Cameroon.

The Leone Stars now have four points after four matches, while their hosts have three, with one round of fixtures left.

Rohr’s men presently top the group with 11 points, four ahead of second-placed Benin who have seven points with one group match to go.