After 90 minutes of pulsating struggle between Nigeria’s Super Eagle and the Eagles of Mali the two have settled for a 0-0 score line.
The match had a lively start with Nigeria’s Yakubu racing onto a through ball but adjudged to have fouled a Mali Defender.
For now the fate of the Super Eagles of Nigeria lies in the hands of their Group B rivals as the Eagles could only draw with Mali in Sekondi.
The Eagles will have to beat eliminated Benin in their final match on Tuesday, and hope that Mali slip-up.
Nigeria nearly pulled home a surprise when in the 75 minute the Eagle’s Yakubu Aiyegbeni landed a shot in the net of the Milians but was ruled out for offside.
The Malian Sevilla’s Fredi Kanoute’s move to score in injury time was thwarted.
The match was full of tension as both teams pounded each other in near-goal chances.
The Super Eagles had the greatest pressure as they faced an early exit if they were defeated by Mali, after Group B rivals Ivory Coast had given Benin a 4-1 lash earlier in the day.
Not even coach Berti Vogts’ three major substitutions in the encounter could drive home the important goal Nigeria needed.
The game started with the Eagles of Mali being the finer side with Amadou Sidibe and Adama Tamboura supplying good passes from the left wing to smart Fredi Kanoute.
The best chance of the game fell to Kanoute in the dying seconds of injury time when the Sevilla front man sent his shot skywards from ten yards out, despite being unmarked.
In the dying minutes Mali captain Mahamadou Diarra was given a yellow card which means he will miss the Eagles' crucial final Group B game against Ivory Coast.
Source: MJFM
