Why Eagles crashed 4-1 to Ghana
Nigeria’s home-based Eagles Sunday, suffered a 4-1
humiliating loss to Ghana in the final match of the 2017 WAFU Nations Cup.
CONTEST…Ghana’s Samuel Safo (centre) contests for the ball with Nigeria’s Rabiu
Ali (r) during yesterday’s WAFU Nations Cup final game in Cape Coast. Ghana won
4-1. Playing in front of a capacity crowd at the new Cape Coast Stadium, the
home-based Eagles, who had defeated Ghana 2-0 in a group game last Monday, were
completely taken apart, shred into pieces, dismantled, offering little in
attack to suffer their first and worst loss in the regional tournament hosted
by Ghana To say that the coach Salisu Yusuf-trained Nigerian side played like
lightweights is an understatement as the Black Stars relentlessly ran rings
round their midfield, comprising Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Afeez Aremu, Rabiu Ali and
Peter Eneji, who all looked helpless. From the start of the game, Ghana burst
into the action, asking all the questions as the Nigerians retreated into their
cocoon, which inadvertently, led to their destruction, as they allowed the
hosts to dictate the pace, pattern and pendulum that the game eventually swung
to. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
As early as the 18th minute, Ghana’s Kwame Kizito almost
broke the deadlock as he took on two defenders but his shot ricocheted off
Aniyikaye Adeleyi, allowing goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa to breathe a sigh of
relief. By far the more impressive side on the day, the Black Stars continued
attacking with pace and defended with grit as the Super Eagles found it
difficult to create any clear cut chance, save for Rabiu Ali’s 30th minute
strike which deflected off Samuel Sarfo. And on 43 minutes, it so happened that
Sarfo, was the one to open the floodgates of goals for Ghana as he edged the
hosts ahead with a clinical finish, as he calmly controlled the ball on the
edge of the box, beat three markers and fired in a low shot that goalkeeper
Ezenwa had no answer for.
Ghana doubled their lead on 57 minutes, when Vincent Atinga
expertly converted a penalty kick after substitute Patrick Razak, was tripped
down in the Nigerian box. Two later became three for Ghana on 77 minutes as
Stephen Sarfo scored his second of the night off a penalty kick after Razak was
hacked down by defender Stephen Eze. And Ghana fans were taken into fourth
heaven on 93 minutes when Winful Cobbinah scored Ghana’s fourth of the night
after a nice pass from Patrick Razak. With their wings clipped, Nigeria finally
got a consolatory goal on 95 minutes, as Rabiu Ali’s free kick beat Joseph Addo
at his near post. Speaking at the end of the game, Nigerian coach, Salisu Yusuf
said, “We lost to a good team, which is a good lesson for us. The tournament
was good. The boys did well throughout the tournament but its sad that they
lost at the end but that is the way the game is”. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
Niger beat Benin to win bronze medal Also a goal in each
half from Idrissa Halidou and Victorien Adebayor handed Niger the bronze medal
at the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations after beating Benin 2-1 in a third/fourth place
play-off match at Cape Coast Sports Stadium yesterday.. It was a slow start
from both teams with the first shot on goal coming in the 12th minute courtesy
of Benin’s Charbel Gomez, but his 22-yard pile-driver was brilliantly saved by
the keeper. Ten minutes later Niger had their first sight on goal when Boubacar
Magid met a corner-kick with a strong header, but his effort went just over the
target. On the half hour mark the Menas took the lead when Idrissa Halidou met
a low right-wing cross from Boubacar Hainikoye and expertly turned the ball
home from 12-yards out, 1-0. Benin suffered a further set-back two minutes
later when Ibrahim Ogoulola left the field injured and was replaced by Idrissou
Saliou. Niger finished the half the stronger of the two sides with Victorien
Adebayor almost doubling their lead two minutes before the break after meeting
a cross from the left with a thunderous 14-yard volley, but his effort shaved
the wrong side of the crossbar.
Ten minutes into the second half Benin were the first to
threaten, but Charbel Gomez saw his 22-yard free go just over the target. Ten
minutes later Charbel Gomez was in the thick of the action again with another
powerful long range shot which the Niger keeper spilled into the path of
Jacques Bessan, but he fired wide from close range. The final 20 minutes saw Benin
push forward in search of an equaliser and in doing so left themselves exposed
at the back, a fact Niger took full advantage of with a counter-attack in the
85th minute which saw Victorien Adebayor find the back of the net, 2-0. Benin
did find some consolation in the dying seconds of the game when Nabil Yarou
poked the ball home following a goalmouth scramble, 2-1. Read more at: https://danelite.blogspot.com.ng/
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