Nigerian striker Sanni Issa scored the winning penalty kick as his club side, Auckland City of New Zealand finished third at the just concluded Club World Cup in Marrakech, Morocco.
The OFC minnows signed the Nigerian from Vanatau side, Amicale six days before they touched down in Rabat and linked up with his new team mates in Morocco.
Issa was the man who scored the winning penalty for the Oceania Champions League holders all the way back in the play-off for the quarter-finals after holding Moghreb Tetouan scoreless for 120 minutes.
That victory was more than many in the Auckland camp expected with players and officials forced to change flights and reschedule visits to family around Europe.
After being narrowly defeated by San Lorenzo in the semi-finals, following a groundbreaking 1-0 win over African kings ES Setif, Issa and Auckland were at it again.
With the game tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes of the third-place playoff against Cruz Azul, it went to penalty kicks. It was all down to the Nigerian again. Up he strode to place the winning kick high into the net behind Jose Corona.
“It was really amazing,” Issa told Goal. “I can’t express how much I feel. I won’t forget this moment because it’s unbelievable. When I got the chance to make us win the game, that made me really happy.
“I am good at penalty kicks so I was really happy to score.”
That third-place finish capped an amazing set of games for Issa and Auckland, finishing third in a FIFA tournament for the first time and remaining unbeaten over 90 minutes against the reigning champions of Morocco, Asia and Africa.
Issa had previously played in Fiji for Ba, with whom he earned the OFC Champions League golden boot, after departing his native Nigeria and is now hoping his performances at the Club World Cup will put him in contention for a Super Eagles slot.
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This article was first published on 22nd December 2014
arinzeude
Arinze Ude is a PhD Student at the University of the West of England Bristol, UK, where he's exploring on the mechanisms of donor cell leukaemia. He shares his deep thoughts on his blog and the Naked Convos. He is keen to promote personal development of the Nigerian youth via thought-provoking articles.
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