AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS FINAL Nigeria 1 Burkina Faso 0:Nigeria claimed their third African Nations Cup title with a dominant performance over Burkina Faso in Johannesburg last night.

Sunday Mba fired the Super Eagles ahead with a superb volley five minutes before the break after a period of sustained pressure.

Wilfried Sanou came close to levelling midway through the second half but his brief flash of brilliance was extinguished by a top-drawer save by Vincent Enyeama.

It was Nigeria’s first final since 2000. But they were hot favourites ahead of the match against the minnows from west Africa due to their 12-game unbeaten record.

Their victory means coach Keshi becomes only the second man to win the cup as coach and player, following in the footsteps of Egyptian Mahmoud Al Gohari.

Nigeria pegged Burkina Faso back into their own half for the much of the first half and the goal gave the match a boost, with Burkina Faso increasing their urgency and making a couple of surging runs into the Nigeria box before the half-time whistle.

Nigeria almost doubled their lead two minutes after the break when Victor Moses played in Brown Ideye, who flashed his shot wide.

Burkina Faso remained unable to find that elusive cutting edge, with substitute Moumouni Dagano firing over the bar with his stoppage time free-kick in their last meaningful attack.