The Super Eagles battled to a 2-2 draw with Jordan on Tuesday night in Antalya, Turkey, but it came in a game marred by a red card for Alex Iwobi and injury for Francis Uzoho, Sports247 reports.
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However, the second ever national team expulsion suffered by Iwobi, a midfielder with Fulham of England, was only part of a catalogue of woes that befell the Super Eagles on a night when their coach, Eric Sekou Chelle made six changes to the starting line-up that defeated Iran 2-1 on Friday.
Dramatically, Iran romped back on Tuesday night to spank Costa Rica 5-0, but it was only good enough to help them finish second on the table with three points at the four-nation competition, while Nigeria placed top of the log with five and Jordan third with two.
That meant Chelle has won his second trophy for Nigeria, coming from another four-nation competition, as had also been the case when his team dumped Jamaica via penalties to clinch the 2025 Unity Cup in London last year May.
However, unlike the smooth sailing that Chelle and his players got at the Unity Cup, they almost ran into a brickwall against Jordan on Tuesday, as Iwobi’s unnecessary red card capped a night of many setbacks for the three-time African champions.
First was when Cyprus-based goalkeeper, Uzoho failed to stop a low free-kick from distance that gave Jordan the game’s opening goal in the 17th minute, after which the Super Eagles had what looked like anequaliser ruled out in the 22nd.
Skipper of the night, Moses Simon finally equalised in the 26th minute and Glasgow Rangers of Scotland defender, Emmanuel Oluwasegun Opeyemi Fernández scored in the 42nd minute to put Nigeria ahead in only his second cap with the Eagles and keep hope alive for victory.
Unfortunately, the going got tougher for Chelle’s team in the second half, as Uzoho bowed out with injury in the 58th minute, following which his replacement, Adebayo Adeleye first pulled off a good save, then mistimed his rush out of goal and Jordan took advantage to net a 77th minute equaliser.
Dramatically, Iwobi missed a sitter in the 78th minute and then got the marching order in the 87th, after he jumped angrily on an opponent who gave him a hard tackle from behind.
That summed up Nigeria’s night of errors, with a 2-2 draw giving Jordan a consolatory end to the competition their football association packaged as part of preparations for their team’s first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup.
On the other hand, while the Super Eagles failed to make it to the first World Cup to be co-hosted by three nations, the team that stopped them from going there – DR Congo (which Nigeria Football Federation also failed to upstage through a protest in the boardroom) – qualified by defeating Jamaica that same Tuesday night in one of two intercontinetal play-off finals in Mexico City.
