Nigeria captain Jay Jay Okocha put himself in line for a share of the golden boot at the African Nations Cup as he scored one of the goals which helped defeat Mali 2-1 in the third place play-off here on Friday.
The Bolton Wanderers star struck early in the first half to join Cameroon's Patrick Mboma and Mali's Frederic Kanoute as joint top-scorer at the tournament with four goals.
Okocha, already poised to win the tournament's best player award, scored after 17 minutes while Osaze Odemwingie hit the second just after the break early in the second half to set Nigeria on their way.
The win gave the Super Eagles their fifth third-place finish in the history of the event to add to their two titles and four runners-up spots.
They had also beaten Mali in the corresponding match in Bamako two years ago.
"We wanted to win the match to take something from the tournament. The Nigerian people have started to once again believe in the team," said Nigerian coach Christian Chukwu.
The Super Eagles boss brought in Ikpe Ekong and Joseph Enakhire for the suspended Isaac Okoronkwo and Seyi Olofinjana while Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu, who has been carrying a thigh injury, was left out in favour of Pius Ikedia.
Mali, who were trounced 4-0 by Morocco in their semi-final, gave Janvier Abouta his first start.
Okocha, who is also in the running for the African Footballer of the Year award, was in supreme form on Friday as Nigeria looked to erase the disappointment of their penalty shoot-out defeat in the semi-finals to Tunisia.
His goal came off a 30-yard free-kick which clipped a Mali defender on its way past Mahamadou Sidibe in the Mali goal.
Just two minutes into the second half, young striker Osaze Odemwingie headed the second from Okocha's pinpoint cross.
The goal would have helped Odemwingie overcome his misery at being the Nigerian player who missed his crucial spotkick in Wednesday's semi-final shootout.
It was also his third of the tournament.
As Nigeria kept up the pressure in the second period, Okocha toyed with a dispirited Mali defence, at one stage even trying to get past Fousseiny Diawara by placing the ball between his heels and flicking it over his opponent's head.
Mali's best chance didn't arrive until the hour mark when Djibril Sidibe curled a right-foot free-kick around the Nigerian wall which Victor Enyeama did well to push away for a corner.
Mali striker Frederic Kanoute lost his chance to become the tournament's outright top scorer when he was replaced in the 64th minute by Gillingham's Mamady Sidibe.
But it was Abouta who stole the limelight five minutes later when he marked his debut by getting in behind two defenders to hit a smart running volley past Enyeama to make it 2-1.