The Nigeria Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho was in goal for Omonia Nicosia in their UEFA Conference League opener 1-0 defeat against Mainz.
Mainz returned home from Cyprus after match day one with three points thanks to a Nadiem Amiri penalty for their first European campaign in nine years.
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Though, He was only beaten from the penalty spot, Omonia frustrated Mainz, holding their shape well out of possession and flooding men back quickly to stifle any counterattacks – a testament to Henning Berg’s tactical setup. The sides went into the break goalless.
Just as the game looked to be heading for a stalemate, Mainz were handed a golden opportunity in the 75th minute. Kaishu Sano drove into the box before being brought down by Saad Agouzoul, and Nadiem Amiri stepped up to calmly send the goalkeeper the wrong way – his third goal of the competition in as many games – to put the away side in front.
Henriksen will be satisfied with his team’s resilience, even if they lacked cutting edge in attack. The chance to rotate his squad – including a composed debut from 17-year-old Kacper Potulski – will also have pleased the Dane ahead of the weekend’s Bundesliga fixture.
Mainz fly home tomorrow to prepare for Sunday’s trip to the Volksparkstadion, where they face Hamburg as the games continue to come thick and fast.
