Nigeria 2 vs 2 Guinea – 8 October 2011
Match Type
Africa Cup of Nations 2012 Qualifiers
Venue
Abuja National Stadium, Nigeria
Coach
Samson Siasia
Match Line Up
16 Dele AIYENUGBA (Goal Keeper)
6 Fegor OGUDE
5 Efe AMBROSE
2 Joseph YOBO (Captain)
3 Taye TAIWO
10 John Obi MIKEL
4 Joel OBI
7 Chinedu OBASI
18 Victor Obinna NSOFOR
11 Osaze ODEMWINGIE
9 Emmanuel EMENIKE
Substitute Bench
Austin EJIDE (Goal Keeper)
15 Ikechukwu UCHE
Dele ADELEYE
Ekigho EHIOSUN
Elderson ECHIEJILE
Ahmed MUSA
Brown IDEYE
Substitutions
Ahmed MUSA for Chinedu OBASI 57
Ikechukwu UCHE for Osaze ODEMWINGIE 60
Ekigho EHIOSUN for Joel OBI 72
Goals
Ismael Bangoura 54
Victor Obinna NSOFOR 63
Ikechukwu UCHE 77
Ibrahima Diallo 90+5
The Nigerian National team failed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations that will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon after they could only draw 2-2 against Guinea. Samson Siasia and his men, who will have a lot of questions to answer, have now joined other big countries Cameroon and Egypt on the sidelines.
Instead the Syli Stars grabbed the ticket from Group 2 after they won the group.
The game which was played at the Abuja National Stadium saw the Eagles fly out of the blocks. They put the Guinean team on the back foot, creating chance after chance, but they failed to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes of the game.
Although the Guineans tried to slow down the pace of the game with time wasting antics, the Eagles carved them open several times.
The best two chances of the first half fell to West Brom striker Osaze Odemwingie and Emmanuel Emenike.
Osaze scuffed his shot after excellent work from Taye Taiwo on the left while Emenike could only shoot straight at the goalkeeper after outmuscling a Guinean defender.
The second half started on the same note, only for Ismael Bangoura to give Guinea the lead after a mix-up in Nigeria’s defence.
Samson Siasia responded swiftly, throwing in Ikechukwu Uche for Odemwingie. The move paid off as Ikechukwu’s deft back heel fell to Nsofor, who glided through the Guinean defence and fired in the equalizer.
Ikechukwu himself added the second goal as he connected sweetly with a knock down by fellow striker Emenike. At that point in time, everyone expected Nigeria to push on and score the all important third goal.
It was not to be. Ibrahima Traore’s goal deep into stoppage time ensured Guinea’s progress and means Nigeria fail to qualify for the first time since 1986.
They will be absent from the competition for the first time since 1996 when they didn’t participate owing to political reasons and 1998 when they were subsequently banned as punishment.
The Super Eagles went into the match needing to win 1-0 or by two clear goals if Guinea scored. But even a one goal lead as at 2-1 would most likely have been good enough to put them through as one of the two best runners-up from Groups A–J.
Guinean Team: Naby-Moussa Yattara, Dianbobo Baldé, Morlaye Cissé, Kamil Zayatte, Ibrahima Diallo, Mamadou Bah, Ibrahima Traoré, Kévin Constant , Sadio Diallo, Pascal Feindouno, Ismaël Bangoura
