15th October, 2014
By Taiwo Adelu
African champions, Nigeria put life into their qualification race for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Sudan 3-1 in Abuja on Wednesday at the Abuja National Stadium.
CSKA Moscow winger, Ahmed Musa scored twice and China-based striker, Aaron Samuel got among the goals while Salah Ibrahim Jizoli netted for the Falcons of Jediane.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles began the contest like a house on fire with the Sudanese preferring to sit back and mop up the pressure while hoping to catch the African champions on the counter.
Samuel, Musa and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, had chances to score without success in the opening half while Emmanuel Emenike cut a frustrating look.
Babeker Bakri, who got the winner for Sudan in the reverse game in Khartoum, went close to scoring but both teams fired blanks in the opening 45 minutes.
The goal drought ended three minutes into the second half, when Musa got Nigeria in front. Mikel skipped past two Sudanese, and played the ball to Musa whose first touch put him through on goal to slip past El Hadi in Sudan’s goal.
The lead lasted eight minutes as Jizoli equalised by side-footing Bakri’s cross to leave score at 1-1.
A minute later, Emenike stung the palms of El Hadi with his free kick but Samuel conjured an acrobatic finish inside the box to make it 2-1 to Nigeria in the 66th minute after Sudan could not clear their lines.
At the death, Musa persevered and stole the ball at the edge of Sudan’s box, took his time to cut his marker inside-out before squeezing a shot underneath El Hadi for Nigeria’s third and his second of the match.
Nigeria now has four points from four matches but are still behind Group A leaders, South Africa and Congo in second in the 2015 Afcon qualification.