Goals: Nigeria—Aluko 68’, 90'+3; South Africa—Rantie 42’, 48’
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Nigeria and South Africa play to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.
Superb individual efforts from Darren Keet kept Nigeria off the scoreboard entering the half, with Ikechukwu Uche failing to beat the keeper on three separate occasions. Tokelo Rantie ensured his futile finishing would be costly, opening the affair with a strike in the 42nd minute. A defensive error from Kenneth Omeruo provided Rantie the opportunity to deliver the dagger just three minutes after the break. Sone Aluko managed to equalize for the hosts, but with Congo's 1-0 victory over Sudan, South Africa’s lead proved to be insurmountable.
With the result, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations.
Key Moment: Last May, Steven Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea ultimately cost Liverpool its first Premier League title since 1990. On Wednesday, Omeruo suffered a similar fate. The 21-year-old, unable to maintain possession of the ball, was shouldered off by a physical Rantie. Nigeria—and the chance to repeat as AFCON champions—went down with him.
Man of the Match: With two clinical finishes, the award undoubtedly belongs to Rantie.
Lesson Learned: While the narrative following Wednesday’s result will remain on Nigeria’s inability to defend its crown, the focus should shift to South Africa. Bafana Bafana finished qualification unbeaten (3-3-0), conceding just two goals in 540 minutes of play. With Nigeria eliminated from the competition, the opportunity is there for South Africa to capture its second-ever African cup (1996).
Up Next: South Africa prepares for the 2015 African Cup of Nations in January, while Nigeria prepares for the next World Cup cycle.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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