MOZAMBIQUE OUT OF NATIONS CUP
Nigeria had little appetite of entertaining the possibility
of a fairytale at the African Nations Cup finals and dispatched the
challenge of plucky COSAFA hopefuls Mozambique with some ease in their last Group C
game on Thursday.
The match ended in a one-sided 3-0 triumph.
The Super Eagles needed only draw to book their quarter-final place
while Mozambique had the Herculean task over having to beat the giant
west African nation to go through to the knockout stages.
Having run Nigeria close in two World Cup qualifiers in 2009,
Mozambique believed they might be able to surprise them this time.
But Nigeria were in no mood for any high drama and by the early stages
of the second half at the Tundavala Stadium in Lubango had settled the
outcome and booked their onward passage.
Two goals from Peter Odemwingie enforced Nigeria’s superiority but it
could have been a whole lot more had the finishing been better on the
night.
Mozambique could not afford too defensive an approach and, as a
result, Nigeria were able to exploit their lack of pace and occasional
defensive foibles.
Podgy goalkeeper Kampagno, who had spilt everything he touched in
Mozambique’s first two games at the tournament, suddenly started
producing some top stops.
He denied a snap effort from Yakubu Aiyegbeni, thwarted a close-in
header from Chinedu Obasi and stifled a run by Odemwingie to hand the
Mozambicans ever increasing self-belief.
Wingback Miro then hit a bouncing shot off the Nigeria upright in the
41st minute to signal the possibility of a surprise to come.
But within minutes the dream had died, thanks to an extraordinary goal
from Odemwingie.
Well outside the Mozambique’s penalty area when he received the ball,
and with fullback Campira waiting to see what he would do next,
Odemwingie hit a thundering left footed shot that would have
challenged the speed of sound as it squeezed inside a diving Kampagno
and his right-hand side post.
One minutes after the break, the result was made secure when Aiyegbeni
beat the offside trap and unselfishly laid the ball square for
Odemwingie to tap in from close range.
Aiyegbeni was later replaced by Obafemi Martins, having his first run
out at the tournament after slow recovery from a shin operation.
Martins was dancing before the end, without any apparent signs of
discomfort, snapping up a rebound after John Obi Mikel’s 86th minute
shot had been saved by Kampagno
A much more convincing win this time means Nigeria finish the group
stage with two successive win after losing to Egypt in their opening
game
They will find out the identity of their semifinal opponent when Group
D concludes on Thursday.