The
Super Eagles continued its buildup for the Afcon 2013 Nations Cup in
South Africa later this month with an amazing display of attacking
football to overwhelm Dutch side, Sparta Rotterdam 1-0, in Faro, Portugal.
The
game which was played at the Browns Sports and Leisure Club, where the
Eagles are presently camped for the SA 2013 championship started on a
cautious not for both sides, but it was the Eagles which featured
Skipper Joseph Yobo pairing youthful Kenneth Omeruo, who was impressive
in the heart of the defence, that seized the initiatives just five
minutes into the encounter.
A
combination of Efe Ambrose and Ahmed Musa found Nosa Igiebor at the edge of
the box, but he blasted wide. In the 10th minute, Mikel Obi combined
beautifully with Igiebor to free Emenike, but his shot was again wasted.
Mikel again did a yeoman’s job in the 14th minute to send
Emenike clear and he promptly tucked the ball into the net but Dutch
referee for the game Wim Bronsvoort ruled it offside.
From
then on it was one way traffic as the Eagles seized control of the game
but Igiebor, Moses, Emenike and Musa somehow managed not to score and
the half thus ended goalless, to the chagrin of Stephen Keshi, who
thought his wards should have at least been two goals up by then.
The
Eagles continued from where they stopped in the second stanza and in the
55thminute, Ambrose Efe combined beautifully with Musa, who dribbled
his way into the vital area before laying the ball for bulky Emenike to
riffle home for what turned out the only goal of the encounter.
After
the goal Keshi made eight changes to his team with Ejike Uzoenyi coming
in for Victor Moses, Gabriel Reuben for Mikel, Ike Uche for Emenike,
Sunday Mba for Nosa Igiebor, Brown Ideye for Musa, Ogenyi Onazi for
Yobo, Nwankwo Obiorah for Ogude Fegor and goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim for
Vincent Enyeama.
The
Eagles continued their dominant play even with the changes but Ideye,
Uche, Reuben and Mba failed to increase the tally, to keep the scoreline
at only 1-0, after 90minutes.
Rotterdam
coach, Michel Vonk, said he was delighted with the robust, attacking
play of the Eagles, adding that if they keep it up they will go far at
the Nations Cup. “Your team play physical and quick and at times they
slow it down and before you know it they are all over you. I told my
players that is what to expect and we were not disappointed. Their
quality is very good”, he said.
The
coach singled out Mikel Obi and Kenneth Omeruo for special mention.
“Your number 10 (Mikel), is very good, creative and has good vision,
then Omeruo, very good aerially and gives good cover to the keeper. Your
team wasted a lot of chances, they must learn to take them at the
Nations Cup and I wish them good luck”, he concluded.
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