Nigeria 2-2 South Korea
Oh I did enjoy this game. Foolishly I allowed the thirteen year old to control the TV remote so we started out with Argentina and Greece. Asserting myself and choosing this game instead was a very wise move. We'd already missed the opener, a great ball from the right and a slick finish from Kalu Uche, but the player who impressed me was Nwankwo Kanu. So cool and calm in possession he found every pass with some sort of mesmeric ease. Mesmerising really...
Strangely, Nigeria found themselves level at half time due to some crazy defending against Ki Sung-Yeung's 38th minute free kick. The ball seemed to evade everyone in the penalty box until Lee Jung-Soo stooped to shin the ball home from 3 inches. Things got worse for Nigeria on 49 minutes when Park Chu-Young's free kick snuck inside Enyeama's left hand post. It seemed now that all was lost for Nigeria, especially when Yakubu contrived to miss when it really would have been easier to score from Yussuf Ayila's pin point left wing cross. Absolutely diabolical miss from the Yak there.
Still, he's not called the Yak for nowt. He must have balls of steel this fella, as literally seconds later he is presented with a chance from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 and put Nigeria right back in contention. Nigeria get another chance with ten minutes left, but the ball goes agonisingly wide of the post from Obafami Martins. They get two more half decent chances to win the game and the second qualifying place but ultimately it wasn't to be for them. Another African nation leaves the tournament early. As for South Korea, well it's Uruguay in the Round of 16 - knockout football, anything can (and probably will) happen.
