| Nigeria - Tunisia
4 : 2
Before the match:
If experts are right this
is something like the atombomb among the opening matches: Nigeria and Tunisia,
both are expected, if they win, they might develop the necessary confidence
to go go all the way and win the Nations Cup. If they lose, they will have
problems to reach the second round or go far. A draw might leave them in
between. Indeed, the Nigerian form is a bit an a hinge. With few preperation
matches the team, under pressure as hosts, might be influenced heavily
by the confidence factor. Tunisia are emotionally more involved as any
other team because of the strong ties to home football (19 of 22 play at
Tunisia and it can be said that cups there still count more in relation
to money than in a lot of other teams) and because of that depend on a
boosted confidence as well. A crucial match and maybe one of the most exciting
to begin with.
- Sepp Blatter and Issa
Hayatou are among the officials who honor Nwanko Kanu as African Footballer
Of The Year before the match
C.A.F.
stats: Nigeria
/ Tunisia 4-2 (1-0)
NIGERIA: 1-Ike Shoronmu; 2-Gbenga Okunowo, 3-Celestine Babayaro, 4-Nwankwo
Kanu, 5-Furo Iyenemi, 6-Taribo West, 7- Finidi George (19 Benedict), 10-Austin
Okocha, 11-Garba Lawal (13 Tijani Babangida), 15-Sunday Oliseh, 20-Victor
Ikpeba (14 Amunike)
TUNISIA: 1-Chokri El Ouaer; 2-Khaled Badra (6- Mogaadi 60th),
3-Sami Trabelsi, 4-Mounir Boukadida (21-Walid Azaiez 46th), 8-Zoubier Beya,10-Kaies
Ghodhbane, 11-Adel Sellimi, 14-Sirajeddine Chihi, 15-Radhi
Jaidi, 17-Tarek Thabet, 20-Zied Jaziri (7- Imed 46th)
1:0 ('27) Okocha, 1:1 ('49)
Sellimi, 2:1 ('62) Okocha, 3:1 ('68) Ikpeba, 4:1 ('74) Ikpeba 4:2('90)
Baya
Referee: Alain Sars (FRA)
Ass. referees: Dramane Dante (MLI) & Rafael Guerrero Alonso (SPA)
Reserve referee: Ndoye Falla (SEN)
Commissioner: Molefi Oliphant (RSA)
Cautions: Tunisia: Trabelsi 7, Sellimi 16
The
Shot That Passed Right Through The Net was right:
Tunisia's scorers have been
Adel Sellimi (1:1) and Zoubeir Baya (4:2)
Now why did all the
other sources report wrong yesterday (Azaiez, Sellimi)?
Because they all took the
information from one and the same news source, Reuters news agency. The
Reuters reporter might have fallen to the Nigerian TV which zoomed on Azaiez
after the first Tunisian goal and so suggested him the scorer.
Today cafonline has corrected
them selves in their cafonline
match report and Tunisian
sources confirm, too, what seems most likely after video reviewing.
Mistakes can happen to anyone.
The policy of this ticker will be: If I am not sure about, I will say it,
if I will rely on information from other sources, I will say it as well.
1st half
- nervous start
- ('6) Tunisia finds into
match first and has a first opporuinity by a #4 header after their second
corner
- ('7) a holding gives Nigeria
a 20 meter free kick, a sharp low ball and a great save by Chokri El Ouaer.
The first 12 minutes
have seen a better Tunisian team but also have suggested the danger portential
the Nigerian key players can create out of nothing. It is hot, some shirts
stick to the bodies with sweat, some moves are slow.
- (16) Tunisians create
major excitements ending with Adel Sellimi running into the arm of a blocking
defender in the penalty area. He is awarded a ayellow card by the referee
who makes clear he is unwilling to be unkind to the hosts.
- ('21) Tunisians have some
practised standard situation variations and those look a threat to Nigeria
- ('23) more excitement
in front of the Shoronmu goal
- ('26) Okocha shot across
the bar
- ('27) Nigeria has exploded,
created two big opportunities against an anxious Tunisian defence and Fini
has hit the goal post with a 16m shot
-('28) another fast through
attack (a Kanu pass) against the Tunisian offside line (Ikpeba is in passive
offside but on the other side of the field - this is the common interpretation,
a right decision) finds Jay Jay Okocha on the right wing - he scores from
half right with a sharp low shot. - 1:0
- ('31) Tunisia: harmless
shot saved by Shoronmu
- ('35) match breaks open
for a minute when both keepers touch the ball within 15 seconds.
- ('37) neat Tunisian triangle
passing, but Shoronmu is concentrated
Tunisia has to apply
their upfront pressing in very moderate doses because of the weather, but
when they do they surprise the Nigerians
- ('41) Tunisians complain
a second time in a scene seeing a striker fall in the penalty area
The Tunisian offside
trap works well but has its dangers.
Halftime 1:0
Tunisia has impressed as
a modern football playing team with a consistent plan but Nigeria has been
more dangerous when their 'big play' players sprinkled in some exciting
gamebrakers.
2nd half
- ('47) first Tunisian accents
- ('48) cross ball from
the left and Adel Sellimi heads it into the right corner from 10 meters
- no chance for Shorunmu - 1:1
- ('49)('51) Tunisia tries
to profit from the shock, Okocha answers with a shot - no major hazard
- ('55) match has become
much faster, both looking for scores
- ('58) after a one-two
with Kanu Okocha shoots from 18 meters, the ground makes the ball difficult
and it slips through the legs of Chokri El Ouaer - 2:1
- ('61) Azaiez tries it
from distance as well but no problem for Shorunmu who has less problems
with the ground than his counterpart:
- ('61) Chokri El Ouaer
has problems to control a ball passed back to him which almost leads to
a big opportunity
The ground causes some irritations
for the Tunisian ches machine. Nigeria tries to stand firm in defence and
decide the match with some isolated situations.
- ('69) A brilliant magical
goal after a tricky passing sequence: Ikpeba is played free half left 10
meters distance and fires into the right corner. Again it has been Kanu
who had the last touch before - 3:1
- ('71) big opportunity
for Tunisia but the header from close distance right into the arms of the
keeper
- ('72) the counter finds
Tunisia unorganised and Ikpeba totally unmarked, he has no problems to
find the empty net from 3 meters.- 4:1
- ('78) another dangerous
Nigeria counter attack
- ('79) Okunowu with spectacular
defence, Nigerias confidence is skyhigh now
- ('82) Tunisian defence
dissolves: despite marked by two players Kanu can set up an easy 4 meter
header. Tunisians are lucky it flies across the bar.
- ('85) Okocha displays
his magic - something he has announced to keep reserved for matches with
comfortable lead only
- ('86) some lack of concentration
in Negerian defence - but Shoronmu with good positioning game
- ('89) the substitues Babangida
and Akwuegbo deliver their part of the show
- ('injury time) Tunisian
attack is not giving up and Nigerians are quandering a ball but Shoronmu
rescues with a great save
- (''injury time) but
the Tunisian spell continues for a minute and finally Baya scores by a
deflected ball from 9 meters distance - 4:2
Final result 4:2
After the match you are
always more clever: Has Tunisias game been to risky? Probably no, a match
can run anywhere. But Nigerias big-play ( aterm borrowed from American
Football where it means a play that has a big impact on the match) potential
has merciless dismantled the fallibility of the Tunisian defence.
Tunisia has two days more
off to get over it than their next counterparts Morocco for the match that
is now crucial for them to win. Two days more to get over but also two
days more to start to worry. Their ability to bounce back will be put to
a severe test.
Nigeria on the other side
has found cloud 9 to sail on to the title. Their biggest enemy will be
complacency. This result is a boost to their catalytic confidence and an
intimidating signal to the other teams.
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