Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa scored twice to help lift his team over Iceland in the vital Group D clash.
Musa took a wonderful first touch from a cross and blasted the ball past the keeper to break the deadlock against Iceland in the 49th minute.
Musa doubled the lead after picking up the ball and skipping past an Iceland defender and rounding the goalkeeper before firing the ball into the net.
Chances proved few and far between in an uninspiring clash in hot conditions as Iceland and Nigeria went into halftime goalless in their Group D clash at the Volgograd Arena on Friday.
Iceland's Gylfi Sigurdsson had a freekick tipped over the top and a shot saved in the opneing five minutes and on the stroke of halftime delivered a freekick that offered a chance to Alfred Finnbogason to break the deadlock.
Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr made three changes to his team for Friday's Group D World Cup match against Iceland on Friday, bringing in Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa up front and Kenneth Omeruo in defence.
Nigeria, under pressure to beat Iceland after losing their World Cup opener 2-0 to Croatia, dropped strikers Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi to the bench along with defender Shehu Abdullahi.
