By Amosu Adeboye
Nigeria now face a stern test in a bid to make it to the 2020 African Nations Championship after the home-based Super Eagles suffered an agonising 4-1 defeat to Togo in the first leg of their final qualifying round fixture at the Stade de Kegue on Sunday night.
The Home Eagles started the game brightly and took the lead in the 10th minute through Ibrahim Sunusi.
The home team equalised in the 16th minute through Richard Nane.
Nane doubled the Hawks advantage in the 67th minute following a long period of pressure.
Tchakei Marouf scored the third goal from the spot in the 75th minute, while Agoro Ashraf got the fourth deep into stoppage time
The Eagles, who reached the 2018 CHAN final in Morocco, will now need to win the return leg in Nigeria next month by at least three unreplied goals to go through to Cameroon 2020.
Nigeria Starting Line-up
Theophilus Afelokhai – Ebube Duru, John Lazarus, Olisa Ndah, Dennis Nya – Fatai Gbadamosi, Ndifreke Effiong, Samuel Matthias – Mfon Udoh (captain) (Chisom Orji), Sikiru Alimi, Sunusi Ibrahim
