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Odemwingie sparks Nigeria redemption

Odemwingie sparks Nigeria redemption

Posted: 2010-01-20 20:48

Osaze Odemwingie's brace and a third goal by Obafemi Martins helped Nigeria storm into the quarterfinals of the African Nations Cup with a 3-0 win over Mozambique on Wednesday at Lubango.

The result will go a long way towards easing the pressure on under-fire coach Shuaibu Amodu, who needed a performance more than a result from his wards to ensure that he gets the weight off his back against the team led by a man who has been widely tipped to replace him.

There was little sign of that immense pressure as Amodu's team took early charge of the encounter with some quick passing and assured play, and it took just three minutes for Obasi to warm goalkeeper Rafael's palms.

This was followed soon after by another effort from Odemwingie and just shy of the ten-minute mark, Obasi again tested Rafael with a shot that was turned away across the face of goal.

Obasi was back again soon after. Man of the match Odemwingie won a free-kick down the right. Mikel's delivery was knocked down at the far post by Danny Shittu, but Hoffenheim's Obasi headed tamely at the goalkeeper.

Nigeria were dominating the game, with the Mambas content to hit the Super Eagles on the break and they got some joy from those tactics with Enyeama forced to make a double save off Genito's free-kick.

Just before halftime, Odemwingie made the dominance count. Played in by Mikel, the forward spotted the goalkeeper slightly off his near post, and with the defence backing off him, accepted the invitation to shoot, and Rafael stood no chance.

Mozambique needed to get right back in it in the second half, but they were soon behind two minutes after the restart. Kaita freed Yakubu with an excellent reverse ball down the left. The Everton man showed a burst of speed to get in behind the defence and squared for Odemwingie to tap in his second of the day.

And with four minutes of play left, Martins sealed it after some inspired play by Mikel. The midfielder robbed a dallying Campiro and came face to face with the goalie. His angled shot was turned away but fell to Martins and the Wolfsburg man squeezed it under the keeper.

There was still time for Obinna Nsofor to miss a glorious chance to make it four after a superb give and go with Martins. He just failed to keep his cool as goalkeeper Rafael moved quickly off his line to make the save.

In the end, it proved to be a comfortable win for the Super Eagles, and confidence in the squad will be sky high.

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nelson: 2010-01-20 20:52

odemwingie & enyama both man of the match.



nelson4u.

Hrvoje: 2010-01-20 21:04

Danny ****tu and Apam Onyekachi are also good today.

Hrvoje: 2010-01-20 21:06

I hope that we play against Gabon on monday.

Billion: 2010-01-20 21:35

Martin Nooij should respect Amodu! After 3 matches and and no win, he should stop running his mouth. Should Amodu be removed and replaced by Nooij? Nooij who in 3 different times had been roundly defeated by Amodu and who could not qualify his country for the WC? It will be a travesty of justice to allow coaches whom we defeated to take over from our own! Is it not a curse? God forbid!!

AzraEzra: 2010-01-20 21:36

@-Hrvoje, do u fear cameroon? always looking for the cheapside to play with...and come out to say naija is the best...shame to u.

Billion: 2010-01-20 21:36

There are people who know next to nothing about football yet pride themselves on this forum with arrogant ignorance! @Vick I don't make comments here to entertain you and your friends. I'm independently minded and speak the truth even when it hurts. The truth is what I've always said.

Hrvoje: 2010-01-20 21:41

Azra,i will prefer that SE play against Gabon than Cameroon

Billion: 2010-01-20 21:42

If Amodu has lost today's match, the critics would have invaded this site! I don't have anything for them but I've got a dossier of all their names. At the appropriate time when we've passed this Jordan, I'll remember them and history will judge! Yes, we're all Historians and judgement shall be given to those who will be vindicated.

elzo: 2010-01-20 21:58

Danny ****tu, I vote you oga last man defense for life! Good performance today. Keep up the good works!

Kerewa: 2010-01-20 22:02

Good talk @billion. Amodu may not be an advocate of ***y football, but wat we need is winning. Does cameroun play ***y football??? they will rather brush u, kick u, intimidate u and force the ball inside ur net. winning is all that matters nothing more nothing less. Chelsea under maurinho was a crap to watch but he got 2 league cups under his kitty.

Pls Amo's break more records.
1 loosing to egypt after 43 yrs
2 scoring more than 1 goal in a game in nations cup.
Pls amodu also stand and ginger the players more, it will make the players to wake up and get into the game again.

Amokachi did well today as usual, standing at the byline and giving instructions.

@billion,@frank original etc. see u in the finals. Cameroun will fall, they have never won nigeria in any quarter finals and not this time.

Up SE
Congrats Amodu. but pls use Odiah as the joker in the next game.
Lets meet at the finals.
I rest my case

IceQueen: 2010-01-20 22:04

hear, hear Billion...thanks for pointing that out.

This shows you that the ppl who come here are not true Eagles fans.

It's a shame really, bcos they've allowed themselves to be puns in the selfish game the enemies of Nigerian football play with the eagles.

clearly there are ppl who want Amodu out so that they can broker a deal for a foreign coach and collect the resultant 10%...

The result is that the team and everybody suffers, which in nut-shell the story of the Nigerian nation.

It's a shame indeed.

Prince: 2010-01-20 22:41

Thank God that we won today and qualify but we should not be carried away that Amodu has done well, if we are to be known like the super Eagle of then pls Amodu should kindly be replaced after this tournament.
Prince

IceQueen: 2010-01-20 23:15

@Mick

Can you define "capable"? What does it really mean?
What does a coach need to do to be "capable"?

I am honestly waiting for your answer.

mike: 2010-01-20 23:20

All you Amodu haters, eat our hearts out. Hide your heads in shame. Ken Gadaffi and Billion carry go jareh, nor mind these moroons who think that they are experts. You have to know what you are talking about before you can judge another. I am sure they would say that it was God that won the match not Amodu and his players. If this is the only match Amodu ever wins I am satisfied.
Akpobome

mike: 2010-01-20 23:41

Shame on you, all Amodu haters, carry go Ken Gadaffi, Billion, IceQueen and all those without shallow minds.Fans are Fans come rain or sunshine,true fans stick with their team even when they are not playing well, they encourage them to do better not crucify them because they lost a match. It is just like the typical nigerian mentality when the going is good many people would be your friend, but when the going gets bad many of them would run away.
Akpobome
Akpobome.

jazzy: 2010-01-21 00:07

WELL DONE NIGERIAN EAGLES...!
MORE POWER TO UR ELBOW.
AS FOR AMODU,.., U GOT ur changes spot on today and d team in general...probably b/c yobo was injured...else u'd started him...
beatin MOZ 3-0 doesn't still make u a better coach than d one who lost to a depleted egyptian squad 3-1.
Get Nigeria to d finals of N/Cup...and to the semi-final of WorldCup(if u'll still be there) and I'll change my stand about ur capability!
...
if u like keep an in-form martins on bench and play ur YAK,..,everybody saw what martins did today... d game will judge u!
u may also choose to display ur tactical prowess by playing NWANERI&YUSUF....
everyone saw APAM today&we know abt d abilities of CHIDi ORDIA...
over to u Amodu!
YOU'RE STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR NIGERIA...JUST LIKE MOZAMBIQUE COACH....NIGERIA has reached a level where a coach in d class of RIJKAAD should be developing our teams!!!

intrepid: 2010-01-21 00:46

Congratulations, Nigerians, this is the time to celebrate but the truth remains we are still far from the promise land. So unfortunate people are taking things personal, Eagles deserve commendation but they are not a world class team, this remind me of france 98, we thought we had a team until Denmark prove us other wise

joe: 2010-01-21 08:35

Only Sir Alex Feguson, Wenger or Jose Morinho are better than Amodu. Best coach never win a world cup, only good coaches do, Amodu you are GOOD!!!!!!!. Not even Capello , Macinin, Hindink are good enough for the SUPER EAGLES. AMODU is a world class coach.

ken gadaffi: 2010-01-21 09:58

I have taken closer look at YAK's reaction after his substitution last night, and I don't really think he was protesting his substitution( I stand to be corrected though)
After a close look at the incidence, I think Yak was quick to remove the hand band and give to OSAZE. Indeed he was saying something but i dont think it was a direct reaction to his being subbed. And if indeed he was reacting to it, it goes a long way to show that he is willing to play on for the country, he wants to give his best and all good players surely do. I dont think there is any player who will like to be subbed when he has not played well, i have seen many star players react worse than that so please lets not take it too much on YAK. Even in that Match, OSaze refused to leave until after he had taken the freekick and we can see from the free kick that he was not composed any more knowing that was going to be his last kick of the game.
I know YAK like AMODU is not in many people's good books, however insinuating that YAK's reaction is as a result of his relationship with AMODU is uncalled for, lets not be too sentimental in our judgement.

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Frank: 2010-01-21 11:15

Methinks Yak was killing time and a Mozambican player took a jibe at him and he was merely responding to that and not complaining abt being substituted. As usual detractors will say something negative. Need we say more?


Original

Austin: 2010-01-21 11:48

I have been vindicated ... that amodu is a good coach. That the SE is a great team in the making. The match Nigeria played against France last year should hve given some people a sense of what the SE under amodu are capable of. I hope those who prayed for the SE to fail will come on this column to apologize to Amodu, SE and Nigeria. Amodu will meet his S/F mandate and surpass it. Amodu stays.

Garvey: 2010-01-21 12:20

@mike - There is nothing like Amodu haters here in this forum. For the fact that some forumites critizise the coach when his team is not playing well does not make them Amodu haters. Stop categorising the people into Amodu haters and Amodu's friends. Every soccer loving Nigerians want the success of the Eagles. You do not love the Eagles more than any other forumite. It is the norm everywhere in the world where football is played to critizise when a team is not performing well. It is not peculiar to Nigeria.

DA: 2010-01-21 12:23

Emmmmmmmmmmmh!! My first time here.Lovly piece and and I've always been reading through articles here for quite a long time and now wish to be part of the family. Our team will be a force to recorn with when the government/management(s) go in for merit irrespective of who is there as the coach.

The coach is not too bad if not under pressure and dats not what we need.We need a coach that can stand against all odds.Yes Amodu made good changes in our last match but was so confused in our match with Egypt.

I feel bad always seeing an old YAKULOG playing almost all the durations. He is not better than a half fit Martins,Odewengine,Nsofor,Obasi,so why allowing him much playing time.A team needs experienced players but not having them stay 4 long. For me YAKULOG's playing days 4 SE is up and thats a fact.Let all those who impose him on SE (including the Lulu's,Amodu's e.t.c if they are among ooo) leave him for the safety of SE and rely more on the young lads.YAKULOG is no more having precission and is also not helping the team by returning as at when due.He is not feat to struggle for possesion when the SE are in need. Martins is better and pls let YAKULOG come as sub if he most play. It's high time we dig deep for get back replicas of the JAY-JAY'S,OLISAH'S,PAPILO'S,FINID'S,KESHI'S, for Ghana has started theirs than 2 rely on a YAKULOG..... We need a Messiah ooooo.

Play Odia & Taiwo on our next match and Obasi & Nsofor 7 & 11 respectively to make the team more combatant.

Garvey: 2010-01-21 12:28

@Ken gadaffi - Don't let us make YAK reaction after the substitution a topic of discussion. We don't need such discussion. Even if he was protesting his being taken off, I see nothing wrong about it. It's normal with footballers. No player wants to leave the field of play when the game has just started to become enjoyable for the players.

Flex: 2010-01-21 12:59

Second Base Jari! All thses noise na becos say we beat Ordinary Mozambique.

DA: 2010-01-21 13:00

I quite understand you.His reactions is quite normal. My only problem with YAK is that he is not helping the team when there is pressure. He prefer's waiting to recieve loose ***** than to fight with his team mates for posession. Weah,Drogba,Martins,Osaze all returns to defend when needed.

DA: 2010-01-21 13:08

I quite understand you.His reactions is quite normal. My only problem with YAK is that he is not helping the team when there is pressure. He prefer's waiting to recieve loose ***** than to fight with his team mates for posession. Weah,Drogba,Martins,Osaze all returns to defend when needed.

DA: 2010-01-21 13:17

I quite understand you.His reactions is quite normal. My only problem with YAK is that he is not helping the team when there is pressure. He prefer's waiting to recieve loose ***** than to fight with his team mates for posession. Weah,Drogba,Martins,Osaze all returns to defend when needed.

mike: 2010-01-21 17:07

@Garvey you are a hater if you see nothing good in a person. Do not hide behind the facade of wanting the eagles to play well. There are two types of contributors in the forum, those that want Amodu to suceed because he is first and foremost our own, and has earned the right to coach the team and those that think that he is not qualified to coach the team as result a new foreign coach must be hired to takeover from him. Those that hate him are very passionate up to the point that they want the team to loose just to prove their point. I do not need to ask which camp you belong to because i have read your earlier postings. Again I am very unapologetic when it comes to defending our own. If Siasia is ever appointed to coach the national team I would also support him against all those who may want to impose mediocre foreign coaches on us. My support of Amodu is idealogical, not fanaticism.
Akpobome.

ody: 2010-01-21 20:46

Now that Se have reached the last 8, everybody ha suddenly become a fan of the team & Amodu. victory has plenty. i really do hope the team has watched the Cameroonians play because against SE the might find their lost rhythm. its time for the handlers and the players of Se to raise their game & take their chances its now the knok out stage. i wish the whole team and handlers the very best in their remaining matches. I see the cup landing in Abuja.