CSKA Moscow star, Ahmed Musa, was the hero Wednesday in Kasarani, Nairobi, where the Super Eagles defied all the antics of the Harambee Stars to emerge 1-0 winners in the Group F Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Musa, a double winner in the Russian league, grabbed the only goal of the game in the dying moments of the encounter to give Nigeria eight points from four matches, which is two points more than that of Malawi, which could only draw goalless with Namibia in the corresponding game in Blantyre.

Before the game, which kicked off by 2.00 p.m. Nigerian time Wednesday, many followers of the Super Eagles were apprehensive due to the tortuous route their team took to get to Kenya and the fact that the last time both teams met, Kenya almost ran away with the three points.

The Super Eagles played a friendly in Houston, U.S.A, on Saturday morning and only arrived Nairobi on Tuesday after stops in Frankfurt, Germany, and Ethiopia.

In the first leg in Calabar two months ago, Kenya led Nigeria 1-0 up until the dying moments of the game when Nnamdi Oduamadi’s scissor’s kick ended the game in a 1-1 draw.

Buoyed by that draw in Calabar, the Harambee Stars and their fans felt yesterday presented the best opportunity to defeat the Super Eagles in a competitive game. But they met a different Super Eagles in the breezy afternoon at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The game had the mark of a goal even up to the dying moments when the Eagles were pressurising the Kenyans for the opener. That came in the 81st minute when Musa latched onto a throughpass by Mikel Obi to lob the ball over the onrushing Kenyan goalkeeper, Duncan Ochieng and into the back of the net.

Kenya, who were needing nothing sort of a win to keep alive their hopes of gracing the World Cup final, started the match badly with defender, Brian Mandela almost handing the Super Eagles a quick goal in the first minute of the match.

The South Africa-based defender failed to deal with a loose ball after restart allowing Brown Ideye to charge forward but the Super Eagles star could not find the back of the net with keeper Ochieng’ to beat.

Five minutes later, Musa Ahmed beat the Kenyan defense but his attempt to pick out an advancing Sunday Mba was blocked by Brian Mandela.

The Kenyans were having a great time in midfield and Oman-based Jamal Mohammed was showing some awesome creativity though he appeared self-fish sometimes.

The first half ended with both teams failing to break the deadlock.

The second half, dominated by the Super Eagles, was heading to a goalless ending until Musa intervened to silence the capacity-filled stadium, which had in attendance Kenyan government officials.

The Super Eagles, who are heading to the Confederations Cup in Brazil later this month, moved on to eight points with two games to play as Malawi failed to keep pace.

They will visit Namibia next Wednesday while Malawi host Kenya at the same time in another crucial round of matches with only the group winners progressing to the third qualifying round.

Wednesday’s victory was Nigeria’s first win since they unexpectedly triumphed at the African Nations Cup in South Africa in February.

They drew 2-2 with Mexico in a friendly last week before travelling from Houston, Texas to Nairobi for yesterday’s World Cup qualifier.

The Harambee Stars, meanwhile, are all but out of the running for a ticket to Brazil, with the side stuck to the bottom of the table, six points behind Nigeria with just two games remaining.

In the day’s other Group F action, Malawi maintained second-place after playing out a goalless draw against Namibia, who occupy third with four points, two less than their opponents.