Argentina starts their 2010 World Cup with hopes of putting qualifying’s issues behind them. Nigeria will try to avoid being the team against whom the Albiceleste take our their aggressions.
Argentina 1-0 Nigeria, World Cup 2010: Vincent Enyeama Not Enough For Super Eagles To Overome Albiceleste
When Gabriel Heinze scored in the seventh minute it looked like the start of a blowout. Argentina had created two good chances prior to the corner kick conversion, and in the moments after the opening goal, Lionel Messi looked ready to lead his team to a walk.
But Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama stole the show, continuously keeping Messi from opening his account and keeping Nigeria within one.
Read Article >World Cup 2010: Halftime At Ellis Park Sees Argentina Up 1-0 Over Nigeria
Gabriel Heinze’s seventh minute header is all that separates Argentina and Nigeria on the scoresheet, though Argentina has been clearly the superior side, with Lionel Messi generating numerous scoring chances for the Group B favorites.
Heinze converted a corner from Juan Sebastián Verón to put Diego Maradona’s side up 1-0, after which Argentina continued to generate chances against an ineffective Nigeria defense.
Read Article >Gabriel Heinze Header Puts Argentina Up After Seven Minutes
Moments after Vincent Enyeama saved Nigeria the indignity of falling behind within five minutes, an unmarked Gabriel Heinze headed home a Juan Sebastián Verón corner to put Argentina up 1-0.
Nigeria’s defense followed all of the Argentina players moving toward goal in the lead-up to the corner, but when Heinze stopped his run at the spot, no Super Eagle defenders stayed with the Marseille left back. Heinze’s header went into the upper ninety, over one of the Nigerian defenders guarding Enyeama’s right post, making it 1-0.
Read Article >Argentina Vs. Nigeria World Cup 2010 Preview: Is Nigeria The Perfect Starting Opponent For Argentina?
Around the same time, Nigeria was making a coaching change. Lars Lagerback, having failed to qualify Sweden for the World Cup, was brought in a mere four months before the finals. Now the Swede, who qualified his country for five straight major tournaments at the beginning of the decade, will try to rebuild Nigeria.
Rebuild may seem a harsh term to describe a team that finished third in January’s African Cup of Nations, but nearly missing out on World Cup qualification (only beat Tunisia by one point) and looking poor in the ACN hints Nigeria is in trouble. They have not creative players in midfield, and with Mikel John Obi out of the tournament with a knee injury, Nigeria’s midfield looks thinner, less versatile.
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