Nigeria scraped into the quarter finals of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations with their first goals of the tournament thanks to Ivory Coasts win over a subdued Malian side.
Nigeria had to beat Benin in Sekondi and hope rivals Mali would lose to the Ivory Coast in Accra to take second place in Group B and they got their wish, although their supporters couldn't rest easy until the last few minutes.
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was the hero for the Super Eagles, scoring the first and setting up a late second for Everton striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu.
Having laboured through a poor first half without registering a shot on target, Nigeria took the lead in the 53rd minute. Marseille left-back Taye Taiwo's thunderous free-kick was parried by Béninoise goalkeeper Rachad Chitou but Peter Odemwingie calmly chipped the ball across the face of the goal for Obi Mikel to head into an open goal from point blank range.
Nigeria knew a Benin equalizer would spell disaster and never really looked settled until five minutes from time when Mikel's through ball fed Yakubu who finally found his shooting boots to side-foot past Chitou and send Nigeria into a quarter final against Ghana in Accra.
That was because Mali, needing only a point to progress, tamely lost 3-0 to an increasingly impressive Ivory Coast side who made several changes from the side that beat Benin 4-1 last Friday.
Gone were Arthur Boka, Kolo Touré and Salomon Kalou, yet the Ivorians eased into an early lead when Didier Drogba scored his second goal in an many matches, firing across Mahamadou Sidibé in the ninth minute.
With Nigeria still being held by Benin, Mali played it cool for the rest of the half but within seconds of Mikel's opener in Sekondi, Ivory Coast doubled their lead when defender Marc Zoro, making his first start of the tournament, heading home a corner from St-Étienne midfielder Siaka Tiéné. Zoro missed other good headed chances before and after the goal and might have finished the match with a hat-trick.
Mali only needed to pull one back to go above Nigeria on goals scored but their hopes were dashed in the last five minutes when a Sidibé parry was hammered home by substitute striker Boubacar Sanogo and within seconds news came through of Yakubu's goal against Benin.
Ivory Coast win the group with a 100% record and no goals conceded. They go into Sunday's quarter final with Guinea as red hot favourites.
The results ease the pressure on Nigeria's German coach Berti Vogts, who had received much criticism after Nigeria's limp performances against Ivory Coast and Mali.
Results
IVORY COAST 3 (Drogba 9', Zoro 54', Sanogo 86') MALI 0
BENIN 0 NIGERIA 2 (Mikel 53', Yakubu 86')
