By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
…Sets up Semifinal against Hosts Morocco on Wednesday January 14 at 9.00pm
NIGERIA’s SUPER Eagles on Saturday took a flight from the Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco across the Algerian desert to gallantly dominate and oust the Algerian Desert Warriors from the 35th African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament with a brilliant 2-0 pecking to make their 16th appearance in the semifinal from their total 21 times of attending the AFCON party.
Nigeria’s talisman striker, Victor Osimhen got the first goal in the 47th minute when Bruno Onyemachi lifted a cross pass which Osimhen nodded to the ground and score to get his 4th goal of the tournament and the first goal to beat Luca Zidane son of former French Captain Zenedanne who just opted to appear for Algeria their original country.
As Nigeria was still smarting from the dressing room talk over the missed chances of the first half Alex Iwobi who held the midfield to keep the Algerians away gave Osimhen a pass and Osimhen found Adams Akor who sold a dummy to Zidanne to score goal number two for Nigeria in the 57th minute.
Nigeria scored a good goal that crossed the goal line that was rejected by VAR on the excuse that the totality of the ball did not cross the goal line before the Algerian defender cleared it but several play backs proved otherwise.
Nigeria should have ended the game in the first half as the country surprisingly dominated all departments of the game.
Algeria could not make a shot at goal in the first half but had two shots with no single shot on target when Nigeria had 12 shots at goal and 5 on target; Algeria played better towards the last 15 minutes of the game looking for a goal to inspire a draw but they were so rough attracting 24-11 foul calls of which 5-3 yellow cards were flashed.
They could not secure a corner kick in the first half as most of the game was played in their half but had 2-4 corner kicks in the second half.
Two things happened. Algeria’s captain Riyad Mahrez was retired with a bowed head from AFCON as that will be his last appearance.
The second thing was that the Algerians during training boasted they would send the Super Eagles to Sambisa Forest, a war theatre haven of terrorist in Nigeria but now the Super Eagles locked the Warriors in their desert with no podium appearance for the former champions.
Algeria had scored 8 goals conceded only a goal and had three lean slates from defeating Sudan 3-0; piped Burkina Faso 1-0; neutralized Equatorial Guinea 3-1 at the group stages before narrow but controversial 1-0 victory over late goal scored against DR Congo in 119th minute of the extra time.
Nigeria is highest team scorer with 12 goals conceding 4 goals with one clean state from beating Tanzania 2-1; stamping Tunisia 3-2; trouncing Uganda 3-1 before posting a superlative 4-0 dominance over Mozambique 4-0 in the round of 16 game which is the highest scored in a single match
AFCON has been rocked by protests that brought changes of match officials within 24 hours. CAF changed the named Ref on the Nigeria versus Algeria match and appointed Issa Sy of Senegal who replaces Omar Artan who was removed for allegedly violating CAF sponsorship rules by wearing unapproved branded boots. We learnt that Algeria protested and the reason given was just forming.
Hosts Morocco got Egypt Ref for their quarterfinal removed so Egypt has also asked for the removal of the Moroccan Ref Jelal Jayed for their match against Ivory Coast later tonight.
The thing about Ref changes is casting aspersions on the future credibility of AFCON even as the Mauritanian Ref who handled the Morocco versus Cameroon match did not consult with VAR once even on protests from Cameroon with many foul plays from stamping and elbows and even the heckling the Moroccan first goal by Brahim Diaz which was allegedly scored from offside position.
From records, Nigeria and Algeria met nine times with each country winning three games each and the rest were drawn, Nigeria supplied 12 of the 21 goals scored in all meetings which could be a scare that Nigeria is dangerous with goals which is the ultimate in football.
They met at AFCON twice and each country won once.
The highest goals scored match is wonderful when Nigeria dubbed Algeria 5-2 in a match played at Stade Miloud Hadefi in a CAF world qualifier before 11,000 fans. Obafemi Martins scored a penalty in the 20th minute and another goal in the 88th to make his brand back flips fantastic; John Utaka scored the 2nd goal in the 42nd minute before Yacef of Algeria scored 48th minute and Mansour Boutabout scored the 2nd goal for Algeria in the 58th minute. But then Christian Obodo had scored the 5th goal for Nigeria in the 81st minute before Ref Abdel Hakim Shelmani of Libya blew off the match.
I sat in the Commentary Box on 22nd March 1980 when before 85,000 fans at the National Stadium, Lagos in Nigeria. The Eagles pecked the Algerians 3-0 in the final.
While fans were still adjusting seats and Journalists were shaking hands in the Commentary Box, Segun Odegbami scored in the 2nd minute and made it a brace in the 42nd minute. Mudashiru Lawal put the icing on the cake in the 50th minute.
Nigeria ranked 38 in the world is making her 21st appearances at the mundial winning the title three times in 1980, 1994 and 2013 won Silver five times and Bronze eight times showing Big Brother Naija.
The Desert Warriors of Algeria ranked 34 has been two times champions in 1990 and 2019, won Silver in Lagos Nigeria in 1980; won bronze twice in 1984 and 1988 as well as placed 4th twice.
The 4th quarterfinal between the highest decorated team with seven titles, Pharaohs of Egypt and Elephants of Ivory Coast will take place at Agadir at 8pm tonight.
The Semifinal schedule is as follows:
First Semifinal is Senegal vs Egypt/Ivory Coast at Tangier on Wednesday 14th January at 6.00pm.
Second semifinal is Morocco vs Nigeria at Abdellah, Morocco also on Wednesday 14th January at 9.00pm.
#AFCON25 #CAF #FRMF #FMF #SAFA
#FEBEFOOT #TFF#FECAFOOT #SFA
#FAFA #EFA #NFF.
