Turbocharged: The GK need to be cautioned about how he leaves the goal post.

Turbocharged: The GK need to be cautioned about how he leaves the goal post.

Turbocharged: The GK need to be cautioned about how he leaves the goal post.

Kc3000: Thank you. He rushed out too soon, should have maintained his line and given his defenders a chance to close on the ball.

puskin: huh......so Semid...U still dey for dis NL....*No Comment*

Guy, I FULL ground o. . . .only thing be sey I do more of reading these days and hardly post. How ya side?

ola_pluto: I think we should use homebased attack and foreign based defence.

ola_pluto: So far so brilliant. These guys are really making me happy. They can dribble, they can attack, they can counter attack, they can hold the ball, they can string passes, they can even do cheeky goals. This is the real Nigerian team.
Halftime: 2-2. egypt's second goal was one dubious penalty.
[/b]Link: http://www.justin.tv/bro_movies2/popout

In a fast-paced game with little let up, Sunday Mba fired Nigeria into a 15th minute lead only to see Egypt rally to draw level through Ahmed Temsah, then edge in front with a Mohamed Aboutreika penalty before Mekki applied the final finish.

Both countries, looking to bounce back from a humiliating 2011 where they failed to qualify for the African Nations Cup, are neck deep in a rebuilding process under new coaches.

Nigeria's Stephen Keshi is following the Egyptian template of building from the home front and his squad was composed entirely of domestic league players.

Punishing pace, quick passing and relentless pressing marked the first half, and it was all those qualities that led to the first goal. Egypt were pressed into a turnover in the Nigeria half, and a break found Uche down the right.

He held off his man long enough to cut back for the arriving Mba, who slammed into the net despite being off balance.

Ten minutes was all it took for Egypt to haul themselves back in it.

Nigeria were made to pay for their high pressing. With the defence so high up, the north Africans played a long ball over the top. Papa Idris fatally misjudged the bounce, Agbim raced off his line too early and Temsah kept his composure to lob in.

Egyptian football has spiraled into turmoil over recent months, with the league suspended, and Bradley has been forced to recall Aboutreika and Essam El Hadary from international retirement.

The veteran forward showed he had lost none of his clinical touch when he stepped up to put away a penalty after Oboabona clipped an opponent just inside the box.

Ejike Uzoenyi was a constant danger for Nigeria. Darting quickly in and between fullbacks and centre halves, and it was one of those raids that led to Nigeria's second.

A dropped shoulder from the Rangers winger had his fullback going one way, while he skipped down the other to lay an inviting low cross for Uche.

The Enyimba man, on his way down from a shove, still found the presence of mind to back heel the ball into the roof of the net for what was the goal of the game.

Until Mekki's strike.

A 30-move build-up, starting from defence had Nigeria rocking, and when Ahmed Elmohamady played in Hassan, there was only one result.

A goal of absolute finesse and a testament to cohesive team play.

But Keshi will take plenty of positives from the display, especially from Uzoenyi and Uche, both of whom should definitely be in the June qualifying squads.

For Uzoenyi in particular, his star continues to rise.

Five things learnt after from the Super Eagles' 2-3 loss against Egypt in an international friendly in Dubai on Thursday.

1. Wingers! At last!
It has been nearly 20 years since 1994. Yes, 20 years since Finidi George and Emmanuel Amunike were tearing down our wings and causing half a dozen different kinda of problems for the opposition.

In the time since then, every armchair critic and who wanted to look knowledgeable would point to our lack of 'wing play' and the return to it as the solution to the Super Eagles problems. It is not, but is only one.

However, they failed to account for the little snafu that we did not really have natural wingers.

Players who have played there have been converted strikers like John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie, Chinedu Obasi etc who are happier playing centrally.

But in Ejike Uzoenyi, Nigeria seem finally to have found the left winger to complement Ahmed Musa on the right.
Ejike accelerates like a V8-powered engine, has the beating of his man, hugs the byline and delivers a useful ball. Okay, occasionally, but that can be polished.

With Musa on the opposite flank, the Super Eagles now truly have natural wingers.

As long as they can get the crossing right.

2. Search for fullbacks continues
Two of the three goals scored by Egypt originated from the fullback positions. Our left side in particular was the source of much joy for the North Africans.

Juwon Oshaniwa was constantly tormented by the raiding Paharaohs and needed to be bailed out constantly by Godfrey Oboabona.

In fairness to the fullbacks, especially Oshaniwa, they received little cover from the wide players ahead of them.
For all his attacking verve, Uzoenyi still needed to track back and help out his fullback.

3. A free kick routine that worked
It is near the end of the first half. Enyimba's Kalu Uche is pulled back as he bears down on goal. Referee awards the freekick, right on top of the Egypt box.

We will ignore his reluctance to send off the defender for denying a clear, goal scoring opportunity.

Three Eagles players stand over the ball, slightly left of the goalkeeper, with the wall in front of them. One touches it. The wall pours forward expecting the customary shot. Instead, it is back heeled to Uzoenyi streaking to the right of the wall.

But for a slightly heavy touch, he would have had the goal at his mercy.

Irrespective, he still found a yard of space to unleash a venomous effort that was tipped over the bar.
It was a delicious piece of invention and if it came from the training ground, which I think it did, then Keshi is on to a real stellar thing.

4. We settled for second
That surprised me. Keshi is not a man I know to settle for second best. But in the last few minutes of the game, it appeared he or his players were satisfied with coming back home with a draw.

The high tempo pressing game was gone, Egypt were allowed the run of the green, and the Nigerians retreated to their own half. Scratch that, to their own deep third.

That allowed the Egyptians plenty of time to execute that 30-pass buildup that led to the goal.

Bunkering down has never helped. If we had seen the same tit for tat that characterized the game early on, perhaps that draw would have happened.

In the event, handing the initiative to Egypt served the unwanted purpose of handing them the game.

5. Nigerian fans still believe in the Eagles
For all the posturing about not caring about the Super Eagles anymore, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that the fans still care. A lot.

They may just be trying to save their hearts from further heartbreak. Prior to kickoff, I got tons of requests asking for kickoff time and what stations were showing the game.

During my Twitter commentary when I finally found a reliable live streaming link, I had most of my nearly 16000 followers hooked on my text updates.

After the game, many more asking for the result.

So yes, I understand that right now you all feel like the innocent girl whose heart has been toyed with over and over by her cheating, player boyfriend.

But if we keep the faith, we can see what Keshi is trying to do, and these Eagles will be great again.

Take my word for it.

semid4lyfe: Five things we learnt from Nigeria v Egypt
by Colin Udoh: 2012-04-13 06:35


http://www.kickoff.com/news/27958/five-things-learnt-after-from-the-super-eagles-loss-against-egypt.php

airmark: Who is that guy in jersey no. 3 with mohawk hair cut. He caused the penalty and the 3rd goal, putting the scorer on-side. The goalkeeper na real PUMA, he rushes out like a rat escaping from the hole hunters. The defence should be overhaul, the first goal was also caused by faulty timing of the ball by thye number 6 jersey. It's better to see the lapses.

RSA: Nigeria lost,that is the results every one knows..