Nigeria concluded their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group B campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Madagascar, with Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi playing 45 minutes in Egypt on Sunday.
- Wilfred Ndidi comes off the bench during Nigeria’s 2-0 loss to Madagascar
- The Super Eagles finished second in Group B having already advanced to the round of 16 stage
- Ndidi played in all three of Nigeria’s group fixtures and was named Man of the Match in the opening triumph over Burundi
Having already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition following 1-0 wins over Burundi and Guinea, the Super Eagles made several changes to their starting XI, with Ndidi named on the substitutes’ bench for the clash at Alexandria Stadium.
Lalaina Nomenjanahary’s 13th-minute effort meant Madagascar were ahead at the interval, before City’s No.25 came off the bench after the break.
However, Madagascar, making their debut at the AFCON Finals, doubled their lead through Andria on 53 minutes, while Ndidi had a shot of his own saved shortly after.
Despite two attacking changes, in which Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi and Levante forward Moses Simon were introduced, Nigeria could not mount a comeback and finished second in their group behind Sunday’s opponents.
Ndidi’s nation will now face the runners-up of Group F on Saturday 6 July in Alexandria, and are set to find out their opponents when Benin take on Cameroon and Guinea Bissau tackle Ghana on Tuesday.
