Nigeria will do battle for a ticket to the 2022 World Cup in a final playoff in March 2022 after they were forced to a 1-1 draw by visiting Cape Verde at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos.
The Super Eagles thus finished top of Group C with 13 points, two points clear of second-placed Cape Verde.
Liberia placed third on six points after they beat Central African Republic 3-1 in Morocco in the other game in the group.
Three-time African champions Nigeria were far from convincing even at home, but Cape Verde did not create enough danger to topple them on the final day of the group qualifiers.
Home team Nigeria got off to a dream start when Victor Osimhen fired the opening goal within a minute.
Roberto Lopez misdirected a defensive clearance to fall into the path of the Napoli striker to net his fourth goal of the qualifiers.
However, Cape Verde drew level five minutes later, when Stopira, match winner at the weekend against Central African Republic, got to the end of a corner to prod home.
In the 27th minute, Odion Ighalo ought to have scored from well inside the box but somehow he failed to connect with his left foot.
Cape Verde veteran goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias aka Vozinha then twice denied Joe Aribo.
First after half an hour when the Rangers star’s curler forced a diving save and then 10 minutes later his glancing header was kept out by the goalkeeper.
In the second half, the Cape Verde goalkeeper was not as busy as he was before the break as the home team did not create as many chances as they did in the first half.
In the 68th minute, Moses Simon was forced out by injury to be replaced by Shehu Abdullahi.
Nigeria locked up the game by the 79th minute, when Rohr brought on defensive midfielder Frank Onyeka.
Cape Verde mounted a hunt for the winning goal in the closing minutes, but it was too little too late.
Super Eagles Starting XI vs Cape Verde (3-5-2):
Maduka Okoye – Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong (Captain), Leon Balogun – Jamilu Collins, Moses Simon (Shehu Abdullahi 68), Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo (Frank Onyeka 79), Alex Iwobi – Victor Osimhen (Paul Onuachu 89), Odion Ighalo (Kelechi Iheanacho 78)
