A goal from El Bilal Toure in the first half and a late goal from Kamory Doumbia condemned the Super Eagles of Nigeria to a 2-0 loss to their Malian opponents. It was Mali’s first win over Nigeria in 39 years and Coach Finidi Gearge’s second audition as the interim coach of the Nigerian team. This proved to be a tougher assignment than the one against the Black Stars last Friday, which he passed.
Finidi made some changes to the team, both technical and injury-related. Frank Onyeka pulled out of the game, and Raphael Onyedika replaced him, while Moses Simon started in place of Cyriel Dessers. The Eagles were under pressure from the kick-off as Eric Chelle’s men pressed from the front and it was no surprise the first goal by Mali, quarter-finalists at the last African Cup of Nations, was a direct product of their aggression.
Chidozie Awaziem, who started at the right of the back three, had no choice but to attempt a pass across his box, which professional circles frown upon. The lofted pass was straight at Bilal Toure, who made no mistake in getting the ball past Stanley Nwabali. Nigerian fans would have expected a response from the team that was boasting stalwarts like Wilfred Ndidi, Kenneth Omeruo, and Alex Iwobi, but that response did not materialise.
It was the Malians who were still first to all 50/50 balls, and they continued to dominate the midfield. Doumbia should have scored in the 27th minute when good combination play created a shooting chance, which he missed. The Malians pinned the Eagles in their half, and the Nigerian team had to resort to long balls to find both Kelechi Iheanacho and Simon, who were the front two.
The Eagles finally created their first goal-scoring chance in the 29th minute when Iwobi’s pass sent Simon clear, but the Nantes forward overran the ball and got injured. He had to be replaced by Dessers. Bright Osayi-Samuel created some panic in the Mali box as the first half wound down.
The second half was much better for the Eagles, as they sought an equaliser even though Osayi-Samuel was harried into clearing his lines at the restart. The Eagles were sharper but ultimately slowed down in the final third, and they got no chance from the physical Malian defenders. When they eventually got there, terrible crosses and rushed passes were the result.
By the 55th minute, the Eagles were literally camped in the Mali half, but poor corner kicks from Iheanacho let the team down. Dessers was sent clean through in the 63rd minute, and with Mali goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa at his mercy, the Rangers’ attacker failed to pick out the goal and shot over the bar. Ademola Lookman came on for Onyedika in the 73rd minute as Finidi’s need for an equaliser intensified.
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The Malians put the victory to bed when Doumbia ran past stand-in captain Kenneth Omeruo and slammed his shot past Nwabali, who had no chance.
Mali’s victory marks their first win over Nigeria since 1975, highlighting a pressing issue for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). With an important 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa looming in June, the NFF must swiftly appoint a new coach for the Eagles to ensure adequate preparation and a better chance for success.
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