NIGERIA are the champions of the continent and worthily so after a tense and tactical 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations win against gritty Burkina Faso in the final here last night.
The young and hungry Super Eagles added to the titles won by the generations of 1980 and 1994.
Two worthy finalists produced an intriguing final. Nigeria dominated the first half and took a deserved lead through Sunday Mba five minutes before the break.
Burkina Faso's achievement in reaching the final at the expense of Zambia, Togo and Ghana was remarkable enough. But the Stallions were not content to rest on their laurels and pushed strongly for an equaliser against a more cautious Super Eagles in the second 45 minutes.
Stephen Keshi's men responded by dealing calmly with most situations that did arise at the back. And Nigeria always looked capable of producing a second goal on the counter-attack.
Thirteen of Nigeria's squad are under the age of 24. Bolstered by whatever talent is still to emerge from the 170million-population country, this team certainly appears to have the potential to fill the void left by Egypt, Cameroon and Ivory Coast and dominate African football. The overturned suspension for winger Jonathan Pitroipia meant Burkina Faso coach Paul Put was able to keep the same line-up from the one that should have won in normal time in their semifinal against Ghana.
Keshi was forced to make one change, and a big one - tournament joint-top scorer Emmanuel Emenike was unable to recover from a thigh injury. Uche Ikechukwu came into the centre of Nigeria's forward line, with Brown Ideye moving to the right and Victor Moses, who did overcome an ankle concern, remaining on the left.
Nigeria's pace and guile of their front three always seemed likely to trouble even a Burkina Faso defence that had yielded just two goals in the competition. From the seventh minute, when Moses's free-kick was powerfully headed over by Ideye, the Super Eagles unsettled the Stallions at the back.
Ideye should have opened the scoring in the 10th minute when goalkeeper Daouda Diakite came and missed and the Nigeria striker volleyed over an open goal.
A solitary free-kick that streaked past keeper Vincent Enyeama's upright was against the tide for Burkina Faso.
In the 40th Nigeria had the lead from Mba, scorer of a spectacular winner against Ivory Coast in the semifinals. The midfielder collected the ball outside the penalty box after a shot from Moses was blocked, took two touches on the bounce into the box and stabbed a volley past Diakite.
Keshi then brought on the pacey Musa Ahmed soon after the break to try to ram home his side's advantage.
Ideye's shot from a tight angle was touched out by Diakite, then Aristide Bance got a header from a free-kick that went straight at Enyeama.
Burkina Faso had not reached their first final to roll over, and Nigeria found themselves absorbing pressure. Mba tripped over himself when a clinching goal seemed on the cards and Nigeria almost paid for it, as substitute Wilfried Sanou's shot skidded across goal from the counter-attack.
But, as a champion team should, for the last half-hour Nigeria did shut Burkina Faso out.
Nigeria, the champions of the continent
NIGERIA are the champions of the continent and worthily so after a tense and tactical 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations win against gritty Burkina Faso in the final here last night.
The young and hungry Super Eagles added to the titles won by the generations of 1980 and 1994.
Two worthy finalists produced an intriguing final. Nigeria dominated the first half and took a deserved lead through Sunday Mba five minutes before the break.
Burkina Faso's achievement in reaching the final at the expense of Zambia, Togo and Ghana was remarkable enough. But the Stallions were not content to rest on their laurels and pushed strongly for an equaliser against a more cautious Super Eagles in the second 45 minutes.
Stephen Keshi's men responded by dealing calmly with most situations that did arise at the back. And Nigeria always looked capable of producing a second goal on the counter-attack.
Thirteen of Nigeria's squad are under the age of 24. Bolstered by whatever talent is still to emerge from the 170million-population country, this team certainly appears to have the potential to fill the void left by Egypt, Cameroon and Ivory Coast and dominate African football. The overturned suspension for winger Jonathan Pitroipia meant Burkina Faso coach Paul Put was able to keep the same line-up from the one that should have won in normal time in their semifinal against Ghana.
Keshi was forced to make one change, and a big one - tournament joint-top scorer Emmanuel Emenike was unable to recover from a thigh injury. Uche Ikechukwu came into the centre of Nigeria's forward line, with Brown Ideye moving to the right and Victor Moses, who did overcome an ankle concern, remaining on the left.
Nigeria's pace and guile of their front three always seemed likely to trouble even a Burkina Faso defence that had yielded just two goals in the competition. From the seventh minute, when Moses's free-kick was powerfully headed over by Ideye, the Super Eagles unsettled the Stallions at the back.
Ideye should have opened the scoring in the 10th minute when goalkeeper Daouda Diakite came and missed and the Nigeria striker volleyed over an open goal.
A solitary free-kick that streaked past keeper Vincent Enyeama's upright was against the tide for Burkina Faso.
In the 40th Nigeria had the lead from Mba, scorer of a spectacular winner against Ivory Coast in the semifinals. The midfielder collected the ball outside the penalty box after a shot from Moses was blocked, took two touches on the bounce into the box and stabbed a volley past Diakite.
Keshi then brought on the pacey Musa Ahmed soon after the break to try to ram home his side's advantage.
Ideye's shot from a tight angle was touched out by Diakite, then Aristide Bance got a header from a free-kick that went straight at Enyeama.
Burkina Faso had not reached their first final to roll over, and Nigeria found themselves absorbing pressure. Mba tripped over himself when a clinching goal seemed on the cards and Nigeria almost paid for it, as substitute Wilfried Sanou's shot skidded across goal from the counter-attack.
But, as a champion team should, for the last half-hour Nigeria did shut Burkina Faso out.
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