Holders Egypt clip Eagles' wings

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Defending champions Egypt overturned a one-goal deficit to register an emphatic 3-1 victory over Nigeria on Tuesday in their African Cup of Nations opening match.

Nigeria's Chinedu Obasi opened the scoring early in the first half, but Emad Meteb leveled the score four minutes past the hour mark.

Ahmed Hassan netted the Pharaohs' second in the 54th minute, before Mohamed Nagi 'Geddo', who scored on his international debut against Mali last week, completed the rout in the dying minutes.

Egypt have won back-to-back nations cup titles in 2006 and 2008, and will set a new record should they clinch an unprecedented third successive continental triumph.

The six-time African champions couldn’t defeat Nigeria in the past 33 years.

On Fire

A dull start to the match saw both teams show extra caution, but they soon set the game on fire.

On six minutes, Mohamed Zidan latched onto an Ahmed Hassan deft pass to release a powerful shot from the edge of the area that was parried by goalie Vincent Enyeama.

Obasi broke the deadlock on 12 minutes all of a sudden when he feinted past defender Mahmoud Fathalla before firing a close-range shot that touched Essam Al-Hadari's palm before hitting the net.

On the quarter-hour mark an unmarked Hani Saied had a chance to restore parity, but his poor effort from inside the area drifted well wide of the mark.

Zamalek defender Saied could have awarded the Super Eagles a penalty-kick when he inadvertently handled a Yakubu Aiyegbeni cross.

Brossia Dortmund front-man Zidan showed a glimpse of his talent when he eluded a couple of Nigerian defenders inside the area, but his low effort went inches past the post.

Meteb canceled out Nigeria's slender lead when he was released by Ahmed Hassan, to capitalize on the absence of the Nigerian rearguard and dribble past Enyeama before slotting into an empty net.

Stronghold

Shortly after the break, Mikel John Obi was close to regaining Nigeria's lead singlehandedly from inside the area, he was eventually nutmegged though.

Hassan put the defending champions ahead when Zidan laid the ball to him, to cannon a shot that deflected off Taye Taiwo's back and into the net.

Hassan Shehata's men took a stronghold on the game afterwards and carved out a number of clear-cut opportunities, while the Nigerians suffered a severe dip in form.

Meteb went one-on-one with the keeper when he collected an Ahmed Hassan through pass, but his effort went agonizingly over the crossbar.

On 62 minutes, Zidan tried his luck to make the score-line but saw his precise free-kick competently blocked by Enyeama.

Defender Taiwo tried to equalize 15 minutes from time with a long-range drive that was easily saved by Al-Hadari.

Two minutes from time, winger Sayed Moawad flicked the ball to Ittihad's Geddo, whose fierce low effort went past the keeper and into the net.

The dying minutes saw Egypt completely control the game, and could have scored more goal.