France’s Mathieu Valbuena, right, slides in to kick the ball away from Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between France and Nigeria at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, June 30, 2014. AP PHOTO/PETR DAVID JOSEK
BRASILIA, Brazil—Paul Pogba scored with a late header to finally break Nigeria’s stubborn resistance and Joseph Yobo scored an own-goal as France won 2-0 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals on Monday.
Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama had just made a superb save to tip over Karim Benzema’s header, but he flapped at the ball from the ensuing corner and Pogba pounced in the 79th minute to nod in his first goal of the tournament.
Yobo turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time under pressure from France substitute Antoine Griezmann.
France started slowly and finished strongly in the second-round match.
African champion Nigeria had a goal ruled out for offside in the 19th minute after Emmanuel Emenike poked home Ahmed Musa’s cross.–Jerome Pugmire