CHAN 2014: Can These Eagles Be Champs?

Mali brew up one of the earliest shockers of the CHAN tournament when it beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in the second game of Group A at Cape Town Stadium, South Africa on Saturday night. Goals from Abdoulaye Sissoko in the 17th minute and a second half cracker from roving left winger Adama Traore gave Mali a stunning start to the competition. Mali took the lead in the 17th minute with a ferocious drive from Sissoko after breaking free on the right flank when Mali had cut open the Nigeria defence. His fierce shot gave Chigozie Agbim no chance from inside the box. The Malians started enterprisingly and could have notched a second goal with chances in the 20th and 21st minutes but on both occasions their attempts went agonisingly wide. Nigeria then tried to fashion its own attack through a long range effort from Abubakar Ibrahim but the attempt was parried away for a corner by Malian goalkeeper, Soumaila Diakite. The Malians began the second half the way they started the first and forced a dangerous corner in the opening minute after piercing through the Eagles’ defence but from a resultant corner, the Super Eagles cleared a goal-bound shot from the line. With Mali taking the match to their more illustrious opponents, it came as no surprise when Adama Traore made it 2-0 with another vicious shot which went through the legs of Agbim in the 49th minute. However, Nigeria urgently hit back with a glancing header from substitute Fuad Salami to set up a frantic finish. As the match turned into a ding-dong affair, both sides wasted some gilt-edged chances with the most glaring being another powerful shot from Mali’s Cheick Doumbia midway through the second half. Christantus Ejike then made a tantalising cross into the Malian box but the inviting ball found no takers as the tempo of the game became brutal. Traore proved quite a handful and had another shot that was well saved by Agbim in the 78th minute. Nigeria replied with a sweeping counter-attack in the 88th minute in a last ditch effort to save the game but the final attempt flew over the bar. In all fairness, it would have been cruel for Mali to lose or draw the match as it looked by far the more polished side and had more verve when going for the attack. So many ingredients where missing from the team that just won the best football team award in Africa and has the best coach on the continent. From the lack of defensive discipline to inept technical depth of the midfield and attack, by the way, that brings up the question of a technical assistant for the Super Eagles. In the midst of those innuendos, there, I saw a team with potential, a team which, if given more exposure, could become good. Though it is quite too early to judge the team or play down its chances in the tournament; truth be told, no one is actually expecting the team to show same technique and flair like the team that actually won the best in Africa.

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This article was first published on 13th January 2014

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