Skip to main content

Iheanacho’s goal gives Eagles 1-0 win over Mali

Nigeria's Super Eagles

Nigeria’s Super Eagles

Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho on Friday opened his senior international goal scoring account in just his third appearance to give the Super Eagles a 1-0 win over Mali.

Nigeria ended a run of four games without a win in the victory through a 77th minute goal in the international friendly played in Rouen, Mali.

The Super Eagles had failed to win since beating Niger 4-1 in January and they were kept frustrated for much of the game by the side coached by Alain Giresse.

The Eagles showed they were missing a number of key first-team players for the game, with Victor Moses having asked to be left out due to fitness worries.

Team captain Mikel Obi also joined Ahmed Musa for former defender Joseph Yobo’s testimonial match in Port Harcourt.

That lack of extra quality told in a match short on excitement throughout, with Watford striker Odion Ighalo missing perhaps the best chance.

Musa Muhammed, making his Nigeria debut at 19, came close to breaking the deadlock in a first half low on quality, with Ighalo spurning the only other presentable scoring chance.

Another bright run from Muhamed shortly before the hour mark saw Mali’s defence carved apart, but his low cross was hacked clear and the threat once more came to nothing.

Coach Salisu Yusuf then introduced Iheanacho for Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi in a bid to add some spark to proceedings, and the Manchester City man did just what was expected.

He scored from close range after Michael Babatunde found him in space in the area.

Iheanacho later saw a late effort blocked, but Nigeria held on for a morale-boosting victory ahead of facing Luxembourg for a friendly match on Tuesday.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more