Three-time winners, Nigeria’s Super Eagles bounced back from their defeat against Algeria on Sunday in their semi-final game to defeat Tunisia 1-0 in the third place match at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt.
The win brings in total the sum of $2.2 million cash prize the Super Eagles pocketed at the 2019 AFCON.
Odion Ighalo, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, tapped in after keeper Moez Ben Cherifia deflected the ball off his own defender Yassine Meriah to give Nigeria the lead.
Tunisia went close as Ferjani Sassi and Ghaylene Chaalali shot wide.
Three-time winners Nigeria have now finished third eight times.
Tunisia, champions in 2004, needed a finger-tip save from Cherifia to deny Samuel Chukwueze in the second half and the keeper was called on again injury time to acrobatically save Samuel Kalu’s free-kick.
Super Eagles were worthy winners on a night with Tunisia offering little threat for Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.
Senegal will look for their first AFCON title when they lock horn with 1990 winners Algeria in Friday’s final.
The prize money for AFCON 2019 totals $16.4 million, a 64 percent increase from previous AFCON; the winner gets $4.million, while runners up take home $2.million, semi-finalists get $1.5 million, eight teams from the quarter-finalists also get $800,000 each, third in group picks $575,000 each and last team in each group take $475,000.
Victory meant an eighth bronze medals from the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria, following earlier wins in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010. It also preserved Nigeria’s record of never losing a bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations in the 62 –year history of the championship.
