2010

Argentina's coach,  Maradona, based on his past experience with Nigeria came up with a perfect startegy to score at corner kicks (http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/south-korea-will-have-to-stop-argentinas--fbintl_ap-wcup-argentina-skorea.html):


But Argentina’s players have been heaping praise on Maradona this week—and united in crediting him for Gabriel Heinze’s diving header from a corner, which proved just enough to beat Nigeria.

“Diego prepared us for a move like that,” Veron, who supplied the corner, said Tuesday. “Luckily, it came off first time.”

The players said Maradona had been studying how Nigeria defended corners, and concluded that it would be best to exploit a perceived vulnerability by floating the ball to the edge of their area for an onrushing Argentine player to strike, as opposed to placing it nearer Nigeria’s imposing defenders.

“Heinze’s goal was the work of Diego,” said defender Martin Demichelis. “Diego prepared everything to perfection.”



2002:
Batistuta scored from a corner-kick in their 1-0 win over Nigeria at Korea-Japan 2002 (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores102/102152/20020602WCS--NIGERIA---0.htm#RCPS):

IBARAKI, Japan (Ticker) -- They don't call him "BatiGol" for  nothing.

Selecting Gabriel Batistuta proved to be the right decision for coach Marcelo Bielsa as the striker scored the lone goal in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the opening Group F match.

"Gabriel Batistuta has waited a long time for this World Cup, he did well and all the other forwards did well," Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron said.

Argentina's all-time goal-scoring leader, Batistuta's 63rd-minute header raised his total to 56 goals in 76 appearances.  However, the 33-year-old forward was replaced with nine minutes left and was treated on the bench for an apparent right calf injury.

After not looking sharp early, Batistuta elevated above a group of players at the far post to get on the end of Veron's corner kick, beating goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu to the short side. "It was a big loss, but we have two more games," Shorunmu said. "We lost concentration."

Bielsa was forced to choose between Batistuta and another world-class marksman, Hernan Crespo, to start at center forward and his decision made him look like a genius.

1994
It was a hastily taken Maradona free-kick that led to one of Argentina's two goals against Nigeria.


When are we going to learn?

While others are studying us and exploting our weakness(es), we are making the same mistake.

Watch all our old international matches, particularly at the world cup from Peter Rufai, through Shoromu down to Enyeama, set pieces have been our archilles heel.

Imagine the same Juan Sebastian Veron who provided the freekick that produced the only goal in our match against Argentina in 2002 doing the same in 2010.

The only difference is that this time the header was from Heize not Batistuta.

Too bad!