Eurosport - Tue, 19 Aug 14:03:00 2008
Nigeria thumped surprise package Belgium 4-1 to reach the Olympic final for the first time since winning the tournament 12 years ago.
Striker Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi scored twice in the second half after Olubayo Adefemi had given the exuberant but erratic Africans an early lead.
Chibuzor Okonkwo completed the rout while Victor Anchebi sidefooted wide with the goal at his mercy for arguably the worst miss of the competition.
Belgium, surprise winners over Italy in the quarter-finals, were on equal terms for the first hour but then fell apart.
The Olympic tournament is restricted to under-23 teams with three overage players permitted per side.
Nigeria, publicly criticised by coach Samson Siasia for lack of discipline earlier in the tournament, went ahead in the 17th minute when Okonkwo's shot hit a defender and fell nicely into the path of Adefemi who stroked the ball home from 12 metres.
Solomon Okoronkwo wasted another Nigerian chance when he broke clear of the Belgian defence but shot across the face of goal.
Then Peter Odemwingie turned the ball wide after Ogbuke Obasi slipped past his marker with some clever stepovers.
Belgium made a lively start to the second half with Faris Haroun blasting the ball against the crossbar and Tom De Mul forcing Ambruse Vanzekin to make a difficult save in successive attacks.
Nigeria increased their lead in the 59th minute when substitute Anichebe rolled the ball into the penalty area and Ogbuke Obasi slipped the offside trap to sidefoot home.
Long-range goals from Ogbuke Obasi and Okonkwo doubled Nigeria's tally in the last 20 minutes before substitute Laurent Ciman rifled a late consolation for Belgium.
Comment 57 - 76 of 136
NIGERIA MUST GO ALL THE WAY.....A REPEAT OF THE MIKEL OBI AND MESSI SAGA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED....A WIN IT MUST BE, WE DONOT HAVE TO SETTLE FOR SILVER.... GO FULL STEAM NIGERIA AND BRING BACK THE GOLD
i have sent three rich comments now they invalidated.what kind of erratic and exuberant site is this?
Nigerians & reasonable people around the world need not worry about the foolishness and idiotic reasoning of AGGY(WHATEVER HIS NAME IS);it's as a result of the reasoning ineptitude of the so-called EUROSPORT that led to the employing of stone-aged reporters literally unfit to commune in a modern world: Bravo NIGERIA... at least we'll get a medall thus awakening me from the trauma of seeing just one man(PHELPS) from the great U.S.A. clear 8 gold medals... More gold expected from Phelps and Nigeria will get the gold, at least in men's football. NUGA,London.
A British/Jamaican girl advising another Bitish/Jamaican girlfriend on her impending trip to Nigeria to visit with her Nigerian boyfriend family - "be careful what you say in Nigeria, the littlest thing provokes a reaction of "you are insulting me". So this reporter says erratic Africans big ffing deal! They say ten times worse things about their own teams. I read too many comments from 'complexed' people here. Like this idiotic comment from Dubem "this is excellent at least we have succeded in deporting the Belgians as they use to deport our people from there country "Racists" serves them right" Shame no catch you? N2billion + to get one gold (and i hope we win) and that's your idea of teaching them a lesson - how small your mind.
This reporter should may be go back to school. His "paradox "erratic but exuberant africans was not neccessary. There was no point in the match where there was such opposite extremes. Watch your use of words sir. Congratulations to the nigeria teams. You guys still have no iota of respect for us after all these years, but do not worry we are going to earn it.
This reporter should may be go back to school. His "paradox "erratic but exuberant africans was not neccessary. There was no point in the match where there was such opposite extremes. Watch your use of words sir. Congratulations to the nigeria teams. You guys still have no iota of respect for us after all these years, but do not worry we are going to earn it.
i am sure that mr aggie is still drunk from the quantity of shine shine bobo he took to wash down our victory. by tommorrow morning when he is sober he will realise that a computer with internet connection is not a typewriter that you can just type rubbish on.i am sure if the journalist who wrote that story could reply him he would beg him not to misinterpete him or twist his comment.the journalist said erratic and he is reffering to this tournament not past tournaments.can someone explain that to a certain mr aggie in his native dialect.
I must say i'm disappointed in eurosports bt i don't blame dem we r clearly not d britz not withstanding Nigeria made a wonderful outing against Belgium, dat's wat matters. Proud of y'all wat ever d out come on sat
Mr Aggie...Are u talking about another tournament,another team?Because if you understand the concept of reporting,you ll know that the riter is reporting in the context of this tournament.Or are you going to foolishly say the dissapointing Argentins because of their last world cup performance.Its not always nevessary to leave a comment if you are not used to the process.try and be literate.
i'm sorry but maybe you guys should open your eyes????? wasn't nigeria 'erratic' during the african cup and the commonwealth games?? maybe you naija peeps should go back to the past before you blame the writer for anything.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves guys.This is not confirmed racism.Its biased reporting(for some unknown reason).Thank God the writer was not the referee for the game.Maybe he would av found it necessary to give the "erratic Africans" red cards for being "erratic".Was that what he took out of that game?Did the foolish writer mention anything about what the commentators described as the save of the tournament?If anyone at Eurosport watched the match "drunk",I can send a taped copy by post.
Sports, especially the Olympics should be deviod of politics. Today nigeria was the better side by far. The press should be bold enough to say so and commend them.
Emeka Amadi
Siasia, May God continue to Bless you, now Mikel Obi and the rest should cover their face and walk in shame. Mikel, you have forgotten that the country made you, and i pray that you realize what you did to Samson Siasia and his boys.
GREAT BOYS!!!!!!!! this is excellent at least we have succeded in deporting the Belgians as they use to deport our people from there country "Racists" serves them right. For you guys super earglets, go ahead and bring the GOLD back to Africa and make us proud ones again.
Dubem.
I have been following then commentary on this site and I must say Eurosport is very biased against Nigeria and Africans in general. How can you call this performance as erratic? I had to go and check the dictionary to make sure I fully understand the meaning of "erratic". Anyway, the best footballers are from Africa, take it or not. There can be no EPL without African players.
i m disappointed wit ur comments about the nigerian football team throughout this olympics.u hve bn abiased,given wrong scores or none.u guys r racist.think i ll stop usin u guy, even on my tv at home.u r @#$%
congrats !! to Dream team IV .but i beg the nigerian sprots adminisrators to pls sho more concentration other sports, as we can all see that Beijing olympics as so fer been our worst so far. Siasia, Kudos to you and your boys 1 again. the whole country is proud of you, Go for Gold ! From Lanre Ajala.
Imagine the article that would have being written if "team GB" with only the likes of walcott,young,agbonlahor(apparently nigerian) had gone into the finals of the Olympic football event.where are the articles on the backgroud of this unknown Nigerian players?Instead,some Jamaican born guy wins silver for UK in the high jump and it becomes the highlight on Eurosport/yahoo.
THE VICTORY SHOWS THAT WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORT OUR SPORTSMEN CAN DO WELL.SIASIA SOURCED FOR FUNDS FROM NOWHERE TO PROCCEED ON THE TRAINING TOUR(BEFORE THE NFA MET HIM WAS IT IN TURKEY OR WHERE WITH FUNDS) BEFORE THE OLYMPICS JUST BECAUSE OF HIS DEDICATION.the other athletes had little or no support from the sports ministry and that is why our boxers were fighting like praying mantis(without training,they were sent to beijing to commit 'suicide'),our athletes were running as if they had pile etc.nobody should blame the athletes only the administrators.as for the writer of this story although i am not happy about ur choice of word like erratic,i forgive you for using the word 'crush' to describe our victory.
Oh Maaaan!...Erratic or Erroneous, Nigeria 4 -Almighty Belgium 1!!! It was fantastic and rather unexpected. I pray Almighty GOD to crown their efforts with the well deserved success. Go for GOLD Eagles and make Nigerians proud again..
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