In the 76th minute, Nigeria launched a fast counterattack but Odion Ighalo's shot narrowly missed the target. After the shot, Nigeria players appealed for a handball of Rojo inside the box but the referee vetoed the penalty after watching VAR replays.

After 11 minutes, Argentines' efforts finally paid off. Assisted by Gabriel Mercado, Rojo made a shot from the center of the box and scored.

The late goal from the Manchester United star helped his team narrowly edge out the African country and keep Argentina's World Cup dream alive.

A total of 64,468 spectators attended Tuesday's match at the 65,000-seat Saint Petersburg Stadium, among which Argentina fans outnumbered Nigeria supporters by a large margin.

FIFA statistics showed that Argentina made 8 attempts at the goal throughout the match, while Nigeria made 9. Ball possession was 65 percent for Argentina and 35 percent for Nigeria.

The match at Saint Petersburg Stadium marked the fifth World Cup clash between Argentina and Nigeria and the Albiceleste won all the five.

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