Congo 0-2 Nigeria: Super Eagles Show Class in Afcon Qualifying match

It was neither pretty nor comfortable, but Stephen
Keshi's men got the job done and now have their
fate in their own hands again.

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More than most, Nigerians

know that nothing is ever

promised. You pay for your

moments of euphoria, of contentment in exacting

currency, with fear and trembling. In 2013, Nigeria

won the Africa Cup of Nations most improbably,

and its citizens have been paying for that

unexpected pleasure ever since.

The interest rate has been ridiculously high too,

this fact best captured in a hard-fought 2-0 victory

in Pointe-Noire. As if the game in itself, which

featured two penalties and numerous other shouts,

improbable misses and blood (literally) was not

nerve-jangling enough, the home crowd went

haywire after Aaron Samuel curled in the second

from the edge of the box.

It was a disappointing display of lack of

sportsmanship, especially considering that the Red

Devils came away from Calabar with a 3-2 win in

September. Then, their resolve and skills were

roundly applauded by the home crowd; apparently

a good turn does not always guarantee another in

return.

Not that their disappointment was hard to

understand though. Through the first half, Congo

were much the better side, and were guilty of

wasting a number of fine chances. The lanky Fode

Dore was at the heart of much of their better

passages of play, but let his team down with poor

finishing on two notable occasions.

The first involved a quick one-two on the edge of

the box, but the CFR Cluj man dragged the effort

wide after getting behind a square Nigerian

defence. It was eerily similar to Congo’s second

goal in September, only that time it was Almeria

man Thievy Bifouma finishing off the move rather

than playing the wall pass.

Bifouma was the hero in Calabar on Matchday

one, but turned villain here, spurning a golden

chance to level from the spot with the score at

1-0. He chose the same direction, Vincent

Enyeama in goal went the same direction as

Austin Ejide did in the first leg, but this time the

Lille man got to it and saved comfortably.

A goal then would have really set the cat among

the pigeons; only minutes prior returnee

Ikechukwu Uche had dispatched a penalty into the

bottom corner to the keeper’s right. Instead, the

miss saw the home side’s heads drop noticeably, it

was the turning point of the game.

The African champions bided their time and struck

the killer blow late on through substitute Samuel.

The China-based striker is fast honing a knack for

scoring important goals: this one changed the

dynamic of the group, edging Nigeria ahead on

goals scored in matches between both teams. It

was a rare piece of composure in a game that had

seen the Super Eagles flustered and harassed,

especially in the first period.

Stephen Keshi’s men struggled to build any kind

of momentum whatsoever in that first half, failing

to get their distances right either in the attacking

or defensive phases. They pressed in a 4-1-4-1,

but left far too much space between Hope Akpan

and the two other midfielders in front: John Obi

Mikel and Ogenyi Onazi. When attacking, the

midfield dropped too deep to link up with the

forwards and the full-backs offered very little

going forward as outlets.

Congo kept their discipline very well, marking 2v2

in midfield and dropping Bifouma onto Akpan.

Azubuike Egwuekwe, in for the injured Kenneth

Omeruo, was left free to carry the ball out of

defence. Not exactly Franz Beckenbauer, even on a

good day, the Warri Wolves man was poor with

the ball at his feet and consistently mishit his

passes into the forwards.

(Un)fortunately, it was the injury to Akpan early

in the second half that swung the game in

Nigeria’s favour. Sone Aluko came on and went

behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1; Congo could no

longer mark tightly without leaving space between

the lines and Mikel found space thanks to the Hull

City forward’s movement.

The move for the opener captured this perfectly:

Aluko drew out Prince Oniangue, Mikel advanced

into the space and slipped Emmanuel Emenike in,

and Massa clattered into him to give away the

penalty.

Keshi’s bravery with subs paid off handsomely, for

this he deserves plaudits. The Big Boss charged his

team to play football the ‘African Way’ leading up

to this, and in that sense they certainly delivered;

there is no more indubitable marker of a

“Nigerian” team than doing what is necessary,

even in the face of staggering odds.

For the first time since the 13th minute of the

Calamity in Calabar, Nigeria has its destiny in its

hands. On Wednesday, already qualified group

winners South Africa come calling with little to

play for following their victory over Sudan in

Durban. The situation is uncomplicated: beat

South Africa in Uyo (a feat no one else has

managed so far in qualifying), and the African

champions march on to Equatorial Guinea 2015.

Any less cedes the initiative to Congo, who play

in Sudan at the same time.

Of course, ‘uncomplicated’ never means ‘easy’,

especially when it’s the Nigerian national team

involved.

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