Emmanuel Emenike gave the Super Eagles the lead just before the break and although Cheick Tiote equalized early in the second half, Sunday Mba’s deflected effort won the game for Nigeria, which will now face Mali in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Boubacar Barry, Yaya Toure and Gervinho all returned for the Elephants after they were rested for the 2-2 draw against Algeria.

Fedor Ogude was suspended for Nigeria but John Obi Mikel returned, while Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo was not 100 percent fit having picked up a knock in the opening match of the competition.

Nigeria created the first chance after just six minutes when a Victor Moses free kick from the right was headed over the bar by Brown Ideye from six yards out.

Souleymane Bamba produced a overhead kick from a Romaric corner after 13 minutes, but his effort went over the bar.

Nigeria had the best chance of what was a dull opening 30 minutes when Ideye played the ball through to Emenike on the counter-attack, only for the Spartak Moscow man to screw his shot wide from inside the box.

Emenike made up for that miss three minutes before the break, though, rifling home a 25-yard free-kick past Barry. The goalkeeper would have been disappointed with his effort, flapping at the ball as it whistled past his head and into the net.

Ivory Coast was level three minutes after the interval when Didier Drogba’s free kick from the left was headed home by Tiote from close range.

Nigeria fought back and almost took the lead were it not for Barry, who atoned somewhat for his earlier error.

Moses’ outswinging corner found Ideye at the far post but his close-range header was blocked by the stopper.

His counterpart at the other end, Vincent Enyeama, was next to impress by parrying Yaya Toure’s powerful shot from the edge of the area to safety.

Nigeria took full advantage of Enyeama’s save when with 12 minutes left Mba ran at the Ivory Coast back-line and, with few options available, he opted to shoot.

The ball deflected off Bamba and Barry who could only watch as the ball looped over his head and into the top corner.

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Spurs reopened negotiations with Internacional over the potential transfer of long-term target Damiao, but the Brazilian club does not want to sell the 23-year-old, who was top scorer at last year’s Olympics, the source said.

Spurs have a partnership with the Brazilian club, however, and they could return with a fresh bid for the star this summer.

Spurs rekindled their interest in Damiao towards the latter stages of the transfer window after it emerged Jermain Defoe was struggling with a pelvic injury.

With his other only recognised hitman Emmanuel Adebayor away at the African Nations Cup, manager Andre Villas-Boas was thought to be interested in adding another striker to his squad.

Most of the attention around the north London outfit has been concerned with transfer departures Thursday. Heurelho Gomes has joined Hoffenheim, while Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley and Andros Townsend are in talks with QPR.

Lewis Holtby and Zeki Fryers have been the only two arrivals at White Hart Lane this month, but given Spurs’ history of late activity in the transfer market, chairman Daniel Levy could make one last swoop before the window shuts.

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The France midfielder was dismissed in the first half of the defending champions’ 4-3 Barclays Premier League win at Carrow Road for an alleged headbutt at Sebastien Bassong.

Manager Roberto Mancini indicated after the game on Saturday that an appeal would be lodged but, after further thought, the club have now announced there will not be a challenge.

“The Football Association has confirmed that Samir Nasri will serve a three-match suspension, following his red card during the 4-3 win at Norwich on Saturday. Nasri will now miss the New Year’s Day visit from Stoke City, the FA Cup tie with Watford (January 5) and the trip to Arsenal on January 13,” the club said in a statement.

Nasri reacted angrily to a challenge from Bassong in a manner that was seen as violent conduct. Mancini maintains the dismissal was harsh but conceded, as he met the media early on Monday to preview the Stoke game, an appeal may not succeed.

Appealing would have allowed Nasri to face Stoke as, due to the holiday season, a hearing would not have been heard until Wednesday. But by doing so the club would run the risk of having the ban extended if the appeal was deemed frivolous.

With Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure and Abdul Razak now due to depart for African Nations Cup duty with Ivory Coast after the Stoke game — rather than after Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Watford as first thought — it was considered too much of a gamble.

“We don’t know what can happen if we appeal. Usually they reject an appeal. This could be a problem because after this game we lose three players — Yaya, Kolo, Razak and we don’t want to lose another,” Mancini said.

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