Nigeria's 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hopes will likely be decided in the last rounds of qualifying fixtures in March 2021 as they were held to a scoreless draw by Sierra Leone at the Siaka Stevens stadium, Freetown Tuesday evening.

With the hosts picking up a point when the two sides faced off in Benin City on Friday, a thrilling 4-4 draw at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, the match in Freetown was deemed a must win but the Nigerians' goal scoring chances were at a premium in the first half.

The Eagles raised the tempo of their game in the second stanza but it was Sierra Leone's Alhassan Koroma who had the best chance to claim all three points for his country when he dribbled his way into the Nigerian box but saw his shot cleared for a corner kick.