France vs Nigeria final score 2-0 (Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann) World Cup
2014: Result and live match report of the round of 16 game at Estadio
Nacional, Brasilia on Monday, June 30, 2014, kick-off 17.00 (BST)
At the end of second half. Nigeria 0-2 France
NIGERIA 0 2 FRANCE
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How far can France go in this tournament? Will they fall at the first
hurdle when faced with a half-decent side? Email delevelmusic@gmail.com.
19.20 Thank you for your company for today's first round of 16 game.
Please tune in to join us and find out whether it is
Germany
or Algeria, both ties with so much history, incident and
volatility, that they will face at the Maracana on Friday.
19.12 And France make it 2-0. Joseph Yobo had been immense against
Argentina and here today until his unfortunate touch.
19.10 I like Pogba's 'who me?' pointing to himself as the ball sails
towards the net.
19.00 France are heading to the Maracana on Friday night to play either
Germany or Algeria. They get through the group, they go to the semis at
least. If they start with Griezmann instead of Giroud they have a shout of
getting there again.
Full time France closed it out in the last 11 minutes, having been
tested all the way by Nigeria before that. It had been an even game till
then in terms of pressure and breaks, one that was kept interesting by such
poor finishing. The introduction of Griezmann changed the momentum, pushing
Benzema through the middle and Valbuena growing more and more influential.
For this young Nigeria side, though, there is abundant promise in Omeruo,
Oshaniwa, Onazi and Musa. The Twitterati were promoting Victor Enyeama for
the Golden Gloves award. How premature that proved.
GOAL!! France 2-0 Nigeria (Yobo 90og) The corner was ridiculously
conceded by Odemwingie's poor control. Nigeria are preoccupied with the need
for an equaliser so when Valbuena takes it short and then hurtles to the
edge of the box to tap a cross to Griezmann, Nigeria react too late.
Griezmann attempts to turn a shot towards goal, misses the ball and Yobo's
momentum scrambling back late carries it over the line off his shin.
89 min There will be five minutes added on.
87 min Matuidi, Cabaye and Pogba are attempting to take joint
possession of the ball for the final minutes, until Gabriel has enough and
pushes Cabaye over. France take the free kick to Griezman up the right and
he earns a corner with his positioning and control.
85 min Here comes Griezmann again after Nigeria waste yet another
corner they were awarded when they had a meagre penalty claim, Moses's shot
hitting Debuchy's arm from close range and going behind. The corner curves
outwards and France break in numbers until Griezmann's ball through is dealt
with astutely by Oshaniwa.
83 min With Nigeria committing men forward, Griezmann's clever run up
the left exploits the space, thoygh it took an excellent left-footed 40m
pass from Pogba to find him. He shoots across goal aiming for the top, far
corner and Enyeama dives to save and push it away from danger.
81 min Enyeama came out for the cross, got caught with defenders and
attacking headers massed around him and flicked it with his fingers straight
into Pogba's pass whose header was the equivalent of a tap-in into an
unguarded net.
GOAL!! France 1-0 Nigeria (Pogba 79) Valbuena almost has three assists
in as many minutes, his raking free-kick headed powerfully by Benzema and
Enyeama, diving backwards tips over. From the corner, Valbuena finally gets
his assist, as does Enyeama, who fingertips it backwards to the far post and
Pogba nods it high into the goal.
78 min Valbuena's corner flies to Benzema at the back stick. He shoots
low across goal and Omeruo hacks it clear with Enyeama beaten. The ball
comes back out to the right of the box and Cabaye lashes a stonking shot
against the underside of the bar and out.
76 min Matuidi and Pogba rob Gabriel and push the ball out to the left
where Griezmann crosses, findinga delightful shape, as it arcs away from
Enyeama who has to punch away for a corner. Koscielny heads from the corner
and Nigeria save themselves by blocking it out for another.
74 min Vital interception from Debuchy as the ball was tonked towards
Emenike who had drifted over to the left, behind the right-back.
72 min Griezmann has such good feet. Very comfortable in possession and
in tight spaces. Benzema now shoots from outside the box on the left,
dragging it wide.
69 min Enyeama gets enough on Benzema's scuffed shot to stop it
bouncing over the line after he made an opening on the left of the box with
a lovely one-two, the delightful pass from Griezmann putting Benzema
one-on-one with the keeper about 8m out. He shot low, Enyeama, though it
went under him depowered it with his body and Moses cleared it off the line.
66 min Oshaniwa bails Nigeria out after a wondeful cross from Valbuena
from right by the corner flag. It looked as if it actually curled out of
play which may have dragged Enyeam out of position. he could only tip it
backwards and it took a flying volley from Oshaniwa to stop it dropping to
Benzema to shoot.
64 min France are enduring a pahse when they keep messing up the final
ball and here they almost go behind because Matuidi concedes possession with
a lazy, forced pass with his left foot straight to Gabriel who knocks it
forward quickly through Musa and Odemwingie shoots low and hard through the
legs of Varane and Evra with his left foot. Hugo Lloris, the heir of Joel
Bats, gets down quickly to block with his arms.
63 min France sub - Giroud goes off for Griezmann.
61 min Nigeria hold possession for a good minute, sending the ball from
the left wing, via their left-back, across the centre-halfs and up the right
until Ambrose chances a cross from deep and the ball is cleared by Varane.
59 min Gabriel eventually comes on for Onazi, only after France had
broken again up the right. This is a game of the right. Something of the
right about it as both sides are lopsided in their attacking strategies,
overloading the left-backs. Debuchy's shot at the end of that thrust was
tame, though.
58 min Nigeria persevere with 10 men, having second thoughts about
Azeez, who puts his shirt on and jogs by the touchline and then is told to
sit down.
55 min Onazi heads down the tunnel on a stretcher. Nigeria have a throw
on the right level with the penalty spot. Ambrose Delaps it in but Koscielny
heads behind for a corner, which goes to the edge of the box and Giroud
clears.
54 min Filthy tackle from Matuidi almost amputates Onazi's ankle and
foot. He 'had eyes only for the ball' is the commentator's cop out. He was
booked but it could have been red, all six studs going over the ball and
planting themselves forcefully into Onazi's ankle. Matuidi apologisesa nd
looks remorseful, but that's the end of Onazi.
52 min Moses and Ambrose are making headway up the right, Ambrose
curling a superb cross in to Emenike in the six-yard box, who was offside,
but Varane had tracked him and put his head in the way of the header,
jarring his neck and stinging his cheek with his block.
51 min The word gingerly was invented for the way Oshaniwa is testing
his knee after coming back on.
49 min Omeruo has to be alert and stops Musa's progress after Mikel
amusement arcaded Pogba, nutmegging him twice, to free Oshaniwa wide on the
left. He ended up on the floor when he hit his knee against the tackler's
knee and Pogba shuttled the ball forward forcing Omeruo to clean up.
47 min Good run from Moses after a lovely pass from Odemwingie up the
right. With France retreating nervously, Moses gets past Evra but his firm
cross doesn't get past Koscielny.
46 min We resume and France go straight up the middle, Benzema the more
central of the three, rolling the pass out to Goroud on the left but he
spears a cross beyond the far post.
17.58 Most of the half-time talk centres on the wasteful deployment of
Karim Benzema on the left. The consensus is that Griezmann should come on,
Benzema move up the middle and Giroud should take his haircut off for a sit
down.
Here is Emenike slotting the ball into the net. The goal was disallowed but
replays suggest he was, at the least, level.
Half time The BBC panel thinks France's greater quality is beginning to
tell. I'm not sure that they are. Matuidi would be running the game but
Pogba is taking too many risks and giving up the ball really cheaply and
Mikel and Onazi are combatting them with determination and dedication.
45+2 min Onazi sticks out a leg to try to stop Valbuena's run through
the centre-right, about 30m out. The free-kick is arrowed to the far post to
Koscielny but as he leaps to head it back across goal in a challenge with
Enyama, he is penalised for backing in, harshly, and the ref blows for
half-time before the Nigeria free-kick can be taken.
45 min Evra for the second time in a couple of minutes instigates an
attack with a years-defying burst up the left, stopped by Moses and Ambrose.
43 min Mikel is playing very well going forward, underlining again that
his club have persistently played him in the wrong position, slickly laying
off a probing pass for Emenike to run on to and shoot at Lloris who pushes
it out with firm hands.
41 min Moses asks for a foul when he falls after going up to head with
Matuidi in the centre. The ref's not having it, waves play on, and Benzema
takes it towards the corner flag where Nigeria outnumber him.
38 min Another powerful break from Matuidi leaves Mikel gasping for
air. Matuidi must have five lungs. He draws Omeruo out to try to stop him,
making a gap for the supporting Debuchy to shoot through but it's a
right-back's shot. A Newcastle United's right-back of a shot, trickling
wide.
36 min It's alarmingly open at times with the defensive frailties that
have made this tournament such a goal glut very eveident. Varane, though, is
awake, cutting out a long low diagonal cross from Oshaniwa, booting it out
for a corner. That's the best way of stopping a Nigeria attack. Give them a
corner. Having said that, the referee spots Evra as the cross from teh
corner comes in, with both arms wrapped around Odemwingie's chest as if they
were doing a sky dive together. Instead of giving a penalty, though, he
tells him not to do it again
(Photo: Morning Star News/File)
In
this interview session with TADE MAKINDE and SEGUN ADEBAYO, and
selected journalists, Charlie Boy speaks on his father’s death, burial
plans and what Chukwudife Oputa, retired justice, stood for, among other
issues.
Did he write his will and how are you sure it won’t cause any hitch among the family members?
