Super Eagles defender, William Troost-EKong scored a late winner as Nigeria defeated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 2-1 in Wednesday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal clash inside the magnificent Cairo International Stadium, Completesports.com reports.
Troost-Ekong prodded home from a corner-kick smartly delivered by Moses Simon after the South African goalkeeper and a host of heads failed to deal well with the ball and it felled gloriously to the path of Troost-Ekong and the experienced defender made no mistakes with the rare opportunity.
The back-breaking goal overshadowed Zungu’s VAR-assisted equalizer for Bafana Bafana on 72 minutes as Nigeria raced to a dominant seventh win as against South Africa’s two across all competitions since 1992.
It started off as a box to box clash of equal ambition, drive and adventure in this 14th confrontation between the two teams. But scoring opportunities were few and far between with the packed stands enjoying every second of the minutes.
There appeared no clear cut edge and opportunities in the exchanges with joint tournament leading scorer, Odion Ighalo, strangely isolated upfront, rarely seeing action and neither threatened the 1996 winners.
But the lyrics were soon to be rewritten on the 27th minute when match day captain, Ahmed Musa initiated a swift play down the left. He freed Arsenal man, Alex Iwobi who in turn set up Samuel Chukwueze to run in and smash home home into the near post.
It was the Villarreal man’s first international goal and it separated the two teams going into the half time break.
The second period was not far much different from the first but the Super Eagles should have doubled their advantage on 53 minutes when Samuel Chukwueze’s cross from the right could not see any green shirt man inside the area with the ball veering across the face of goal.
Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze continued to keep the Bafana Bafana defence line under constant pressure, but Ighalo appeared surprisingly quiet most of the pulsating game.
South Africa incredibly restored parity on 72 minutes when Zungu headed into the back of the net from a free kick after the ball was adjudged to have came off Odion Ighalo’s body before resting in the net.
The Video Assistant Referee, VAR, was consulted and it confirmed that indeed the goal should stand.
With scores now 1-1 apiece, the Super Eagles stepped up their push for a second goal with on the Musa driving sea, but it was Alex Iwobi who had a glorious opportunity on 82 minutes to restore Super Eagles lead but he directed his left footed effort waywardly over the crossbar.
Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr withdrew Ahmed Musa and introduced Moses Simon in a desperate effort to find the winning goal.
And few minutes after his introduction, Simon made his impact felt as he delivered a second successive corner kick that was turned into the net by defender William Troost-Ekong for Super Eagles second goal and match winner. That was precisely on 87 minutes.
It was a moment of relief as Nigeria extended her supremacy over South Africa with seven wins, five draws and two defeats in 14 matches.
By Adeboye Amosu in Cairo
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COMMENTS
complete sports una no get sense …who comot etebo for musa abeg go watch the match again
Oghenekaro Etebo and introduced Moses Simon in a desperate effort to find the winning goal.
Nice Job…… Complete sport
Typo I guess
Etebo and Musa were outstanding
Congratulations to the Super Eagles
It was an error, don’t just comment and say rubbish to ppl. Anybody can make a mistake , instead of you to correct it, u were saying ppl who are old enough to be your father does not have sense, that shows the type of home you came from. Your parent has more work to do …..foooooooollllllll
Eagles are super again. What an incredible performance from the team. Congrats to all Nigerians…Thank you SE, coach GR and the entire technical crew.
Superiority confirmed.
say that again and again…
Pacy and counter attacking south African team..lol..After playing a team without any spectacular flare and something special (Egypt), they came out talking rubbish..Even playing far from our best, we still defeated them, now the uninspired win in Uyo will be forgotten.. na wa!!, any small thing, “we defeated them in Uyo”…..mtccheeeewwwww
Banana Banana expected Akpeyi to commit a howler and gift them the match. As it turned out, it was their own “fired up”, “raring to go” goalie that committed a late blunder. The SA keeper came out to catch Simon’s corner kick, arms flailing wildly, and missed the ball, to allow Troost-Ekong access to a yawning net.
Superb performance by the Super Eagles. If only we can work on our finishing! This game could have ended 4-1, or 5-1. Musa needs to work on his final ball. He had no problem beating his marker with pace, but the final ball was always faulty. Too long or too short, too fast or too slow! He needs to get it right. If he does, his market value will skyrocket. His game is almost complete. He just needs to improve on the final ball!
By the time Musa, Chukwueze and Ighalo begin to understand themselves better, the goals will flow freely. Hope they can work on this in training. Defensively, we are on point. The midfield is solid. We just need the attack to gel. Let’s get this cup, guys! It is there for the taking!!!
It would have been a huge waste of talent for Chukwueze to play at the U20 World Cup.
My happiness is that we silenced those empty SA barrels, their noise was just to much just bcs they won Egypt, ah! I feel soooo good! And the coach wey no sabi made a “tactical change” by introducing Moses from whose corner we got the winning goal. Hmmmm..what a useless coach without tactics….lol….great game, still waiting for the usual useless article by the ex cricket international, I swear, that man and other haters must tender an unreserved apology to mr rohr. Them go do am unintentionally out of shame and disgrace.Things are gradually taking shape. @all believers, kudos to y’all for believing. It wasn’t easy to ward off the fiery darts of haters but as believes we stood firm,holding strong to the faith we had in the coach and team with God on our side. I have this feeling that we are bringing the cup home but the job is not yet done yet, still a lot of tougher battles ahead. We shall overcome all!!!
This is the business end of the Nations cup tournament, where RESULTS – irrespective of how it is gotten – matters the most. And the Super Eagles, today, got the result! Well done to them.
SE you have made your father land proud despite the fact 90% of Naija watched the match using generators because of bad governance in our country.the money we use in buying fuel has not being in vain. I urge you to keep the flag of Naija flying in Egypt by giving the joy to Naija. Up! Up!! Up!!! Super Eagle thank you for silence SA again.
Etebo is a player of Real Madrid or Barcelona level I wonder what he’s doing at coca cola English league 2
Yes oo..my brother..dat guy is too gud..superb! Neva mind,soon he will leave Stoke city..i know after dis AFCON better clubs will come for him ijn Amen..such a talent !
Complete sports so if u be super eagles coach,u would v change etebo???d best man in d midfield today with solid confidence n nice ball control..he should v cap today with a sublime free kick,no tnks to Williams from South Africa..abeg make Una erase dat error..Etebo na 90mins SE play.. Beautiful tactics from d coach today n nice selection with d introduction of Collins n chukwueze..but i think ighalo is too stiff n static..other strikers should be given a chance.. Awaziam superb..with such determination n gud fighting spirit from d boys today,no team can beat us..Up eagles!!!
My brothers
Super Eagles are not currently the best assembled team in the AFCON when compared to some teams that have already gone home from this tournament but I must tell you something; “The boys are not looking back !!!”
There is this unique mentality among all the lads in camp !
But sincerely speaking, after a close look at the lads while I was in Alexandria, I noticed something that have taught the coach and the lads a sheer lesson … and it’s that 3rd match against Madagascar!!!
That defeat has taught the super eagles players (all of them) an important lesson !
If The lads had won that match by a goal or two … and and had not tasted the disappointment and lesson of defeat, the very opponent would have sent them home in the round of 16 !!
That fateful defeat by Madagascar taught them never to underrate your opponent, that defeat taught them how difficult it is coming back from a goal or two down, that defeat taught them to come out from the blast if the whistle blasting and gearing hot !
Musa might have had a below par game today but I bet you, if he has a chance against Senegal on the semis, he will bury it
Ndidi, Etebor, Ighalo and Musa were visibly disappointed after that match and they are not letting that come to the team against ACSA this positive attitude is spreading to the younger ones!
That’s why they took the game by the neck against Cameroon!
I spoke to a couple players last night before the SA game and that defeat at Uyi was a bitter pill to swallow !
So against Senegal in the semis, I’m all hopeful and the reason is simple… we played a friendly with them prior to this tournament… and we all know the result !
Sometimes, the pain of Defeat teaches a vital lesson !
Senegal … welcome to the nest of the Eagle!
***UYO**
we won’t b playing in d semis it’s going 2 b btw Algeria n Ivory Coast
You are right !
Thanks
@Chima, bro I don’t get it either,etebo is way too big for stokes, the guy needs to change is agent after the Afcon, folks etebo nah beast, South Africans would forever remember that name. Inter Milan would be a perfect fit for him.
Ball control, energy bursting box to box player, tackler, duel winning name more who is a better player in modern day football with this attributes. But as a Nigeria man they will value him less that 50m.
After the match with Egypt, I told my guys that the Bafana Bafana can not recover from the tear and wears of that match. It was as if they wasted 3 matches’ energy to play that match. It showed in the vs Nigeria match. The South Africa team was tired but the coach and the players did catch up. If the momentum of the first half was maintained instead of going back to protect a one goal lead, more goals would have been scored. The South Africans were really tire. Good that they won. Let’s see how it pans out. Well done guys.
I dont think they were tired, they were given little or no room to play..it was clear tactics
It was so easy to predict this match a give their fans a hell of scare and mockery on their kickoff website. They were waiting for hot shot against Akpeyi but their goalkeeper rather messed up!
Big congrats to SE you make Nigeria proud thank you God (Oluwa ese ooooo)
R. Nelly,
You end up unmasking yourself here, it seems you aren’t different from him . Birds of the same feather in disguise.