CAR’s Wild Beasts Shock Eagles in Lagos, Throw Group Open

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Femi Solaja

Central African Republic’s Wild Beast shocked hosts Super Eagles 1-0 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos yesterday to record a famous victory against Nigeria in the 2022 World Cup qualifying series.

Karl Namnganda delivered the killer goal in the 90th minute, when he cashed in on a mix-up between Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong.

Although Nigeria remain top of Group C on six points, both the CAR and Cape Verde who pulled a similar 90th minute winner against Liberia in Monrovia are tied on four points apiece. Liberia are fourth on three points.

CAR’s victory was the first time since October 10, 1981 when Eagles lost 0-2 to Algeria in the final World Cup qualifying match to Spain ‘82 that Nigeria will be beaten at home in the race to the Mundial.

It was also the third time Nigeria lost a competitive match at home after that of Algeria in 1981, 3-2 loss to Congo seven years ago in Calabar and another 2-0 loss to South Africa in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Uyo in 2017.

And 40 years later, a mistimed pass between Balogun and Ekong was all that the visitors needed to break the back of Nigeria.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen and Chidera Ejuke, and later on Taiwo Awoniyi, Ahmed Musa and Samuel Kalu, threw everything at the Wild Beasts, but the visitors defended in numbers and goalkeeper Prince Samolah had an inspired game.

Table-toppers Nigeria were expected to make a mincemeat of the visitors, who were bottom of the pool before the game, but the Eagles failed to find a way past a rearguard of Captain Saint-cyr Ngam-Ngam, Peter Guinari, Flory Yangao, Sadock Ndobe and Melky Ndokomandji.

In the 16th minute, Osimhen got too much purchase on his first touch and saw goalkeeper Samolah scoop the ball, and seven minutes later, Ngam-Ngam came to the rescue for a timely block as the Napoli of Italy man was about to pull the trigger.

In the 29th minute, Nigeria had a strident penalty appeal rejected by referee Abdel Aziz Bouh from Mauritania, when it appeared the ball clipped the hand of Ndokomandji after a shot by Chidera Ejuke.

Ejuke ran, turned, dribbled, sizzled and shielded the ball in a creditable performance, but his efforts and those of his team-mates failed to yield the much-needed goal until disaster struck in stoppage time.

With Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks winning 2-1 away against Liberia in Monrovia, the Super Eagles cannot afford any slip-up on Sunday in the reverse fixture in Douala, Cameroon .

RESULTS

Nigeria 0-1 CAR

Liberia 1-2 Cape Verde

Rwanda 0-1 Uganda

DR Congo 2-0 M’gcar

Tanzania 0-1 Benin

E’Guinea 2-0 Zambia

GROUP C

Team. P. W D L GF GA GD PTS

Nigeria 3. 2. 0 1. 4. 2. 2 6

Cape Verde 3. 1. 1. 1. 4. 4. 0. 4

CAR. 3. 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 0. 4