Iran, Nigeria held to draw
June 16, 2014
After 12 games full of exciting goals and on-pitch drama, number 13 was always liable to be unlucky. It finished that way for the fans on Monday after Iran against Nigeria finished scoreless in Curitiba.
Coach Carlos Queiroz's Iranian side looked to grab as many 1-0 victories as they could during World Cup qualification, and against Nigeria the game plan was no different. Lacking in star players (no offense intended to ex-Wolfsburg attacker Ashkan Dejaga with this comment), Iran played a strict defensive team style that made it difficult for the Super Eagles to create anything through the middle.
But Nigeria can shoulder plenty of the blame for the scoreless draw themselves. Finishing in the final third let them down and crosses into the box hardly ever met their intended target. A goal eight minutes into the match by Nigeria was ruled out by Ecuadorian referee Carlos Alfredo Vera Rodriguez: John Obi Mikel was judged to have fouled the Iranian goalkeeper - a sign of things to come.
As halftime approached, Iran's Dutch-trained striker Reza Ghoochannejhad got on the end of a corner that proved to be their best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes. But as was the theme all game, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama acrobatically kept the ball from reaching the back of the net.
As the second half wore on, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi replaced nominal wingers Victor Moses and later Ramon Azeez with strikers Shola Ameobi and Peter Odemwingie respectively. But the clearly attack-minded substitutions - an effort by Keshi to try to find some success from the balls sent into the box - failed to yield any dangerous opportunities.
With the final whistle looming, a scoreless draw seemed the inevitable result and indeed it finished that way.
A point for each team is exactly what fellow Group F opponents Bosnia and Herzegovina would have wanted after their 2-1 loss to Argentina the previous evening. Iran - always considered minnows heading into the tournament - face the mighty Argentinians next on June 21. African Cup of Nations holders Nigeria, meanwhile, face the Bosnians in a must-win match later in the day that is likely to decide who joins Argentina in the knockout phase.