Nigeria have defeated an injury-hit Ghana team 1-0 with a goal in the dying minutes from Nigeria’s Taye Taiwo in their opening match of Group D of the African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Olympique de Marseille defender Taiwo netted Nigeria's winner in the 84th minute with a low shot from 30 metres which beat Ghanaian keeper Sammy Adjei.

The result was a repeat of Nigeria's victory in the quarter-finals of their encounter in the African Cup of Nations tournament in Mali in 2002, and was a result that Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic was eager to reverse, and will be disappointed with the result.

It was a close-run contest in which there were few chances for either side, even though Nigeria went into the match as favourites to win due to the current injury crisis of Ghana’s ‘Black Stars’.

Taiwo had the first real chance of the match, with a free kick after 23 minutes that tested the Ghanaian keeper Adjei, who did well to somehow keep it out as Nigeria started to show their dominance in the game.

Ghana did have chances though, with striker Mathew Amoah letting fly a shot in the 27th minute but he was off-target, and four minutes later John Mensah's goal-bound header from a corner was palmed away for yet another corner, which amounted to nothing

Nigeria stepped up their game just before the interval with Julius Aghahowa hitting the side-netting in the 38th minute and Ayila Yusuf shooting wide from inside the box, and Wilson Oruma's shot being parried away by Adjei, but there was no Nigerian player to put away the rebound.

Ghana too had their own chance to take the lead in the dying moments of the first half when Stephen Appiah fired home but with Nigerian keeper Enyeama saving.

Both teams opened the second half in search of goals with the Nigerians having more of these openings, with Joseph Yobo, and Obafeme Martins both coming close to getting their names on the score-sheet.

At the other end of the pitch, Enyeama made a point-blank save from Kingston Laryea on 68 minutes while minutes later Matthew Amoah's header inside the six-yard box missed the target.

The game appeared to be heading for the first draw of the tournament before Taiwo produced his match-winning shot in the 84th minute to give Nigeria’s Super Eagles the three points.

Ghana face group leaders Senegal on Friday in their second match of the campaign, and a win is a necessity for Ghana to ensure their survival in the African Cup of Nations.

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