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Olympic
football
Nigeria’s Victors send Japan packing
By Ben Memuletiwon, Reporting from Beijing
Monday, August 11, 2008
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•Vanzekin
in action
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Two players of the same name - Victor Obinna Nsofor and Victor
Anichebe - got the goals on Sunday, which gave the Under-23
national squad, the Dream Team IV a 2–1 victory over
Japan, as Coach Samson Siasia's boys wrapped up their second
match of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Both goals came in the second half of the encounter, which
saw a spirited but clumsy performance from the Nigerian side,
who battled to a goalless ending to their first match of the
competition against Holland last Thursday.
Needing to reasure their teeming fans that the Siasia-magic
was still alive, Isaac Promise was again wearing the skipper's
band and led the race for three maximum points against a surprisingly
gamely opposition from The Land of The Rising Sun.
Lost gilt-edged chances for Nsofor, Peter Osaze Odemwingie,
Solomon Okoronkwo and a scorcher by Sanni Kaita gave early
signs of a tough afternoon for Siasia's boys.
Looking rather threadbare in midfield, blunt in attack and
suspect in defence, it was little wonder the Dream Team IV
gave Japan the chance to fight back in Tianjin and, with the
heavens opening up mid-way through the second half, Ambrose
Vanzekin was bound to make a howler of his goal kick and Toyoda
slammed one home for Japan.
Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi came off the bench in place of Promise
and promptly took over the skipper's band, while Victor Anichebe
had replaced Odemwingie earlier and Emmanuel Ekpo stepped
in for Nsofor, as the Under-23s struggled to a very uncionvincing
win.
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