Nigeria Content Online

The Super Eagles
continued their preparations for the World Cup with a 3-1 win against
North Korea in Tembisa, Johannesburg yesterday. It was the Swedish born
coach’s third game in charge and Aiyegbeni Yakubu was on hand to open
scoring for the Super Eagles in the 16th minute before Obinna Nsofor
extended the lead from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute. A momentary
loss of concentration between Elderson Echiejile and Joseph Yobo
allowed Jong Tae-Se to pull one back for the North Koreans but Obafemi
Martins restored Nigeria’s two-goal advantage with a 90th minute
header. Martins had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he
scored.

The game, which was
played at the Makhulong Stadium in Johannesburg, was however marred by
a stampede which broke out shortly after the start of the second half.

According to police
reports, at least 20 people, including one policeman, were injured
during the stampede forcing the match officials to stop the game for
around five minutes to attend to the injured and ensure the safety of
fans in the overcrowded main stand where the fencing had been removed.

The match itself
saw Lagerback making a few changes from the side that had played a 1-1
draw with Colombia in their previous game as he restored the duo of
Yobo and Danny Shittu in the heart of the defence with Chidi Odiah and
Taiwo at the right and left side of the defence. Dickson Etuhu and
Lukman Haruna, whose work rate keeps increasing with every game, along
with Sani Kaita who played from the right side of midfield and Nsofor,
on the opposite end, were once again in the middle while Osaze
Odemwingie and Yakubu led the forward line.

Great start

The predominantly
Nigerian crowd at the venue were handed the best of starts after a
sweet interchange of passes between Yakubu and Nsofor ended with Yakubu
slotting the ball into the back of the net.

In the 24th minute
Taye Taiwo’s audacious freekick from well over 40 yards almost proved
more than a handful for the Korean goalkeeper. But two minutes later,
the Olympique Marseille defender almost gifted the ‘Chollima’, as the
North Koreans are known, an equalizer when he was too slow to prevent a
cross across the face of the Nigerian goal by the crafty Mun In-Guk.

The second half saw
Lagerback introducing Elderson Echiejile, Kalu Uche and Yusuf Ayila for
Taye Taiwo, Sani Kaita and the enterprising Dickson Etuhu. Nsofor
almost extended Nigeria’s lead four minutes after the restart but his
deflected shot fell into the hands of the Korean goalkeeper.

Stampede

A minute later, the
match had to be stopped after a stampede broke out in the stands. Five
minutes following the restart, the referee awarded a penalty to the
Super Eagles after a Korean defender inadvertently handled the ball and
Nsofor was on hand to make it 2-0 for Nigeria.

A mistake in
defence however saw Jong getting the better of Enyeama in the 64th
minute, and three minutes later, the Koreans were denied a penalty
after the referee erroneously awarded a free-kick for a foul by Chidi
Odiah. A red card to Cha Jong-Hyok for a second bookable offence
however left room in the Korean defence which Uche capitalised on to
run rings round the backline before crossing for Martins to nod into a
gaping net.

The game was the last warm-up match the Eagles will play before
their opening match against Argentina on Saturday, June 12, 2010.