|
Nigeria rolls on
Super Eagles beat Bulgaria 1-0 on Ikpeba goal
Posted: Wednesday September 16, 1998 06:31 PM
| |
Taribo West of Nigeria (left) runs down a pass in Nigeria's 1-0 defeat of Bulgaria Clive Brunskill/Allsport |
PARIS (CNN/SI) - Another dominating performance from Nigeria helped
the nation into the second round of the World Cup, just two weeks after it
looked like one of the shakiest teams amongst the 32 in France.
Victor Ikpeba finished off a swift three-man combination in the 27th minute
Friday as Nigeria used its superior speed and surprising ball control to
outlast Bulgaria 1-0
and stay atop Group D. Nigeria, which beat Spain 3-2 in its
first match in the World Cup, now has six points and can finish no worse
than second in the group. Bulgaria, a semifinalist in 1994, has one point
and one remaining game in the first round - a contest with Spain.
Under 30 degree Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) heat at the Parc des Princes, the
Africans pushed from the opening kickoff and had more dangerous chances.
Bulgaria played a slower and more deliberate pace, which Nigeria, known
more for its flair than organization, managed to handle better than it
usually does. "Bulgaria played a frustrating, irritating game,"
midfielder Sunday Oliseh said. "We were running; they were waiting."
The Europeans started seven players 29 years of age or older, compared to
just two for Nigeria. "The first thing is to be in the next round.
It was a difficult game for us," Nigeria coach Bora Milutinovic said. "I
was happy with the first half, but then we had to be careful not to push up
too far in the second half." He is the first coach to lead four
teams to the second round at the World Cup, after Mexico in 1986,
Costa Rica in 1990 and the United
States in 1994. The Yugoslavian
native's job was reportedly in jeopardy, though, after Nigeria dropped
World Cup tuneups to Germany,
Yugoslavia and Netherlands
by a combined 9-1. On Friday, Nigeria's superior speed began to
payoff midway through the first half as its players repeatedly turned
defenders and broke into open spaces. The goal came off a
lightning-quick exchange. Left back Celestine Babayaro brought the
ball up the left flank and slid it to Jay-Jay Okocha, who found Daniel
Amokachi at the top right corner of the penalty rea. Amokachi deftly
side-footed the ball to Ikpeba in the middle of the box. The AS
Monaco striker, Africa's 1997 Player of the Year, eluded sweeper Trifon
Ivanov, who fell, and rolled the ball just under keeper Zdravko Zdravkov's
right arm for his second goal in the green-and-white and first in the World
Cup. "We attack because that is the style that fits Nigeria best.
Bora has come to understand this," Ikpeba said, "and to try to change us at
this time would not be wise." Nigeria's defense, its acknowledged
weak point, was far from perfect. Goalkeeper Peter Rufai and his backs got
crossed up often, but Bulgaria -- which lost 3-0 to Nigeria in the 1994
tournament -- never was able to convert. "I think that we were the
better team on the day. Tactically, too, we were better," Bulgaria coach
Hristo Bonev said. "We stopped Nigeria from playing the game they wanted to
play. We had chances but were not able to put them away." Winger
Emil Kostadinov nearly tied the score with three minutes remaining, but his
shot skimmed off the crossbar. Krassimir Balakov had produced a
strong threat in the 42nd, splitting two defenders with a header and then
sending a lob over midfielder Mutiu Adepoju and a charging Rufai, but the
ball bounced just wide of the empty net. Then Hristo Stoichkov, who
shared the scoring title at the last World Cup for Bulgaria, pushed the
ball wide right of the post in the 66th and dropped to the ground in
frustration. It is not that we can be, we will be punished later in
the tourney for similarly poor defense," Oliseh said. Nwankwo Kanu,
19 months removed from heart surgery to replace a weak aortic valve, made
his tournament debut in the 67th minute, coming on for Amokachi. The
InterMilan striker nearly scored with his first touch, but the left-footed
blast from the box was fisted over the crossbar by Zdravkov and Nigeria
missed other chances to put the game away late. "For people who like
the spectacular, we make it spectacular," Milutinovic said. Nigeria
lost captain Uche Ukechukwu for its last group game, against Paraguay. The
defender was shown a yellow card, his second of the tournament, in the
43rd. Lineups Nigeria: Peter Rufai; Celstine
Babayaro, Uche Ukechukwu, Taribo West; Finidi George (Tijani Babangida,
85th minute), Mutiu Adepoju, Jay-Jay Okocha, Garba Lawal, Sunday Oliseh;
Victor Ikpeba (Rasheed Yekini, 75th), Daniel Amokachi (Nwankwu Kanu, 67th).
Bulgaria: Zdravko Zdravkov; Radostin Kishishev, Trifon
Ivanov, Ivaylo Petkov, Gocho Guintchev, Marian Hristov (Daniel Borimov,
46th); Zlatko Yankov (Georgi Bachev, 85th) Krassimir Balakov, Ilian Iliev
(Luboslav Penev, 69th) Emil Kostadinov, Hristo Stoichkov.
Referee: Mario Sanchez, Chile.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
| 
