Nigeria, Italy derby ends in breathlessly entertaining draw

Nigeria, Italy derby ends in breathlessly
entertaining draw
on november 19, 2013 at 7:26 am in sports
LONDON (AFP) – Italy and Nigeria signed off for the
year 2013 with a breathlessly entertaining 2-2 draw
in a friendly international at Fulham’s Craven
Cottage stadium in London on Monday.
The match came just two days after Nigeria
secured qualification for the World Cup, but Stephen
Keshi’s much-changed side showed great heart to
hit back through Bright Dike and Shola Ameobi after
Giuseppe Rossi had marked his international return
by breaking the deadlock.
Italy equalised shortly after half-time through
Emanuele Giaccherini, but despite the Azzurri twice
hitting the frame of the goal in an occasionally
frenetic second period, they were unable to avoid
succumbing to a fourth consecutive draw.
Rossi and Mario Balotelli are seen as Italy’s first-
choice front two in waiting and they provided an
illustration of their potential as strike partners by
combining for the opening goal in the 12th minute.
Balotelli brilliantly turned Azubuike Egwuekwe and
fed the onrushing Rossi, who sharply readjusted his
feet before lifting a right-foot shot past goalkeeper
Austine Ejide.
It was Rossi’s first Italy goal since June 2011, after
he spent 17 months on the sidelines due to a
succession of knee injuries.
In response, Ogenyi Onazi tested Salvatore Sirigu’s
reflexes with a 25-yard snapshot, but Italy
continued to press, with Riccardo Montolivo going
close and Ejide spreading himself well to block from
Balotelli.
Nigeria were struggling to assert themselves as an
attacking presence, but from nowhere they turned
the game around with two goals in four minutes.
American-born Dike claimed the equaliser, climbing
above Manuel Pasqual to nod home Ameobi’s
inviting centre, and Ameobi got on the scoresheet
himself moments later when he brilliantly converted
Francis Benjamin’s cross with a near-post volley.
Ejide thwarted a pair of half-volleys from Balotelli
either side of half-time, but he was beaten in the
47th minute when Antonio Candreva squared for
Giaccherini to sweep home an equaliser from 12
yards.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli’s substitutions almost
proved telling in the second half, with Marco Parolo
shooting over after Ejide saved a free-kick from
fellow entrant Andrea Pirlo and then hitting the post.
Alessio Cerci curled narrowly wide, as did Balotelli,
but Nigeria’s substitutes also proved influential, with
John Ogu drawing a fine save from Sirigu and
Emmanuel Emenike hitting the side-netting.
Italy finished the game on top, but the closest they
came to a winner in a frantic finale was an 85th-
minute free-kick from Alessandro Diamanti that
rattled the crossbar.