Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Jide Alaka
Published on 2024-03-27 03:15:01
The Super Eagles of Nigeria suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mali, with goals from El Bilal Toure and Kamory Doumbia sealing the victory for the Malian team. This loss marked Mali’s first win over Nigeria in 39 years and was Coach Finidi Gearge’s second game as the interim coach of the Nigerian team. Compared to their previous match against the Black Stars, this game proved to be a tougher challenge for the Super Eagles.
Coach Finidi made some changes to the team due to technical and injury-related reasons. Raphael Onyedika replaced Frank Onyeka, while Moses Simon started in place of Cyriel Dessers. The Eagles found themselves under pressure from the start as Eric Chelle’s men pressed aggressively. The first goal by Mali came as a result of this pressure, with Chidozie Awaziem’s misplaced pass leading to El Bilal Toure’s goal.
Despite boasting players like Wilfred Ndidi, Kenneth Omeruo, and Alex Iwobi, the Eagles struggled to respond to Mali’s intensity. The Malian team continued to dominate the midfield, winning most of the 50/50 balls and pinning the Eagles in their own half. Nigeria had to resort to long balls to find their forwards, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon.
The Eagles managed to create their first goal-scoring opportunity in the 29th minute, but Simon’s injury forced him to be replaced by Cyriel Dessers. Bright Osayi-Samuel’s efforts created some panic in the Mali box towards the end of the first half.
In the second half, Nigeria improved and pushed for an equalizer, but their attacks were thwarted by the physical Malian defenders. Despite camping in the Mali half for most of the second half, the Eagles failed to convert their chances. Dessers had a clear opportunity in the 63rd minute but missed the target.
As the Eagles searched for an equalizer, Ademola Lookman came on as a substitute, but Mali secured their victory with Kamory Doumbia’s goal. This marked Mali’s first win over Nigeria since 1975, highlighting the need for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to swiftly appoint a new coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
With an upcoming important qualifier against South Africa in June, the NFF must ensure the team is adequately prepared for success. The defeat against Mali serves as a wake-up call for the Super Eagles to regroup and work on improving their performance in future matches.
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