The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Tunesia - Nigeria 1:1 a.e.t., pen.: 5:3

Feb 11 1505 GMT Tunisia - Nigeria 1:1 a.e.t. pen.: 5:3

before the match:
The direct duel of the two remaining favorites:
Tunisia after overcoming their initial fear to lose, which weakened them in the early stages of the tournament, have gathered a lot of momentum and turned their emotions into a believe of having a unique opportunity to win their first Nations Cup title. Now the homefield advantage has become a real one as the fans really identify with the team and will not turn aginst them anymore when in trouble.
Nigeria have gathered confidence as well after overcoming several internal problems. But some of them can not be erased by psychology alone: not all positions are occupied with the same quality, the lack of depth strikers is logical after the sending home of Yakubo and Agali. While some players seem better than their Tunisian counterparts (of course: Okocha, Yobo), others are only average or apparently lack match practise like Okoronkwo.

1st half:
-Tunisia in all white, Nigeria in all green
-It is a pity this showcase match is the earlier of the two semifinals at a time when fewer people might be able to follow it on TV
-('3) Tunisia: Jaziri with a first dangerous run into the Nigerian penalty area, when the Nigerian players seem unconcentrated as they seek an injury break
-with Nigerias greater emphasis on creative foootball the game promises to be more attractive than the Tunisia - Senegal quarter final 'battle'
-('7) Nigeria: dangerous Kanu cross, but two defenders can defy Utaka
-('11) Tunisia: a long ball on Santos makes him and the idea look very dangerous: he seems faster than the defenders, only the pass is a bit short and forces him to slow down so he can be stopped eventually
-'15 it has been an entertaining match with two teams trying to attack
-('17) Tunisia: a second case of a long ball on Tunisia's Barzilian import Santos, who this time is able to unleash a shot from the left hand side which proves to be no problem for Enyeama, the Nigerian keeper
-a clear strategy that seems to confront Nigerian defenders with problems. When they draw back they will offer spaces to Tunisian combinations, when they move away from the goal they will offer spaces for quick Santos
-('22) Tunisia: Nigerian defender Okoronkwo misses in his attempt to intercept a difficult bouncing through pass but Enyeama rescues before an attacker can reach the ball
-('25) Nigeria: first yellow card against Nigeria #14
-('26) Tunisia: agains the long ball on Santos but this time the distance between the back row and Enyeama is so close that nothing could happen: although Santos wins a meter or more in the sprint, enyeama is already there where the ball was supposed to meet the striker
-('26) Nigeria: Okocha fires from long range but high over the bar
-('29) Nigeria: The Tunisian defence is looking a little odd at a dangerous free kick cross from the left hand side by Okocha
-('31) Tunisia: second long ball on Santos within a minute, a one-two with Jaziri and Santos scores. But he is ruled offside. In fact the better decision might have been free kick to Tunisia because Jaziri had been fouled by Okoronkwo when making the direct pass.
-('40) Tunisia: again a long ball, again Santos escapes, stops with his chest, turns, and fires, but in the course of the action has lost track of the goal and the ball goes wide by 10 meters. But this was very dangerous.
-('42)('43) Tunisia try to surprise Nigeria with a quickly taken free kick but it is Nigeria who become really dangerous on the counter attack when pitched two vs two. Badra must stop Kanu for a foul and sees yellow. The insuing free kick cross finds Kanu in dangerous but offside position
-('45+1) Nigeria: Okocha sees yellow for a professional foul in midfield
-the halftime whistle blows and Nigerian players gather in midfield for a prayer

halftime 0:0
While Nigeria seem to rely on their inspirational talent, Tunisia appear to have some specially designed plays to get their opponents into trouble. Several times in the beginning of the match they were able to take the ball away from Okocha and in the second part of the first half they tormented the Nigerian defence with long balls on Santos who is able to escape the defenders by meters on those occasions. The cooordination of those passes must have been practised.
After Nigerian defenders played closer to their own goal, so keeper Enyeama could intercept those passes, Tunisia adjusted and played them more away from the center.
Nigeria have now halftime to make further adjustments.

2nd half:
-there had been a problem with the Nigerian hymn before the match. It is now replayed! The Tunisian crowd, as seen in the matches before, whistles
-('46) Tunisia lose the ball in build up to Kanu, but Tunisian defenders have the last word again
-('49) Tunisia: Bouazizi sees yellow for a late challenge on Okocha
-('52) Nigeria: a dangerous attack initialised by an Okocha cross from the right, ending with a dangerous 25 meter attempt by #14, across the bar by half a meter
-Tunisia meanwhile have been attacking a couple of times but stopped inside the penalty area
-('54) the referee is angry at Jaziri whom he suspects to make a big show out of a little foul in midfield (with his opponent already booked(?)).
-('57) Tunisia have played themselves twice again into the Nigerian penalty area, again eventually defied a real scoring opportunity
-('58) Tunisia look a little better so far, but that does not necessarily mean, they will win: Nigeria are able to play the ball into the Tunisian danger zone as well, though cleared a bit more convingly
-('59) Nigeria: Okoronkwo sees yellow for stopping Jaziri by a clear foul
-('61) Tunisia: The insuing free kick cross gets very dangerous as Badra can only be prevented from scoring by a couple of defenders
-('63) Tunisia: Badra stops a Nigerian counter attack via Odemwingie by a spectacular tackle
-Odemwingie has not seen much action against the Tunisian defence
-('64) Tunisia. Nigerian keeper Enyeama perfect against a dangerous Tunisian free kick cross
-('65) Tunisia make a mistake in midfield. A through ball on Kanu who perfectly protects the ball, penetrates the penalty area and is brought down by #3 - penalty
-('66) Nigeria: Okocha stops while executing, then fires and scores, keeper almost has it. The referee sticks to the rules and wants a repeat
-('67) Nigeria: Okocha again, this time better executed, sends keeper into the wrong corner- 0:1
-('68) Nigeria: #21 in for #11
-the individual quality of Kanu and Okocha has brought the better team behind. On the other hand there have not been many clearcut chances so far on either side.
-('72) Tunisia: but sometimes only the last pass is missing like now as Santos inaccurately tries to make up for one of several luring attackers
-('73) Tunisia have a dangerous situation 3 vs 3, go for the goal, not for the penalty and have to settle for a corner
-('74) Nigeria: Odemwingie yellow for stopping a Tunisian attack
-('75) Tunisia from 20 meters high over the bar. but has been a good situation for a strike
-('77) Tunisia: Jaziri with a pathetic dive, probably even to him, it seemed executed half heartedly
-('77) Tunisia: dangerous again right away but stopped by an offside call
-('80) Tunisia: Santos curves around two defenders but a third can block his cross into the middle
-('81) Tunisia: Jaziri runs into the penalty area with the ball. Nigerian #14 steps in his way. Jaziri takes the invitation and manages to fall over the Nigerians leg. the referee says penalty.
-('82) Tunisia: Badra converts the penalty - 1:1
-the Tunisians moral is further boosted, they apply a terrible pressing now
-Nigeria try pressing as well
-('85) Nigeria: Kanu replaced by Ikedia
-('86) Nigeria: Utako solo, fires from 18, half left, very good shot, flying save by the Tunisian keeper
-it is a seesaw game now, up and down, great to watch
-('90) 5 minutes injury time
-('90+1)('90+2) two good counter situations for Nigeria after winning the ball against the Tunisian build up, but no eventual goal attempt
-('90+3) brilliant sudden long ball by Okocha on Odemwingie. the keeper is lucky it bounces so well for him to take it from the attackers foot
-('90+4) defelected Tunisian long range shot looking a very dangerous curve but grabbed by Enyeama without problem
-('90+4) Nigeria: free kick cross, defended

after 90 minutes 1:1
attacking football, still good defending, goals through penalties, open game.

extra-time:
-('91) Tunisia: Trabelsi in for Clayton
-although the pace is still high, the two are a nuance more careful
-('97) Tunisia play through the first time but a bad cross spoils the scene
-('98) Nigeria: Okocha looks a bit overambitious in his attempts to create something unexpected and so slows down a Nigerian attack
-('101) Nigeria: A Tunisian mistake and suddenly Odemwingie can break through. But pressured by pursuing defenders his shot is too weak to beat the Tunsian keeper
-('102) the second time in this match Bounnijel, the Tunisian keeper is in trouble, getting rid of the ball before a pressuring attacker reaches him
-('103) Tunisia dangerous inside the penalty area but intercepted
-('105+2) Mhadhebi in for Chedly
halftime extra-time 1:1
-('106) Nigeria: Utaka moves out a defender on the left hand side and fires immediately. A sharp low shot, Boumnijel down to save for a corner
-('107) Nigeria: Odemwingie, on the half left, races away from his defenders but again his shot targeted on the far corner is too weak and allows Boumnijel a diving save
-('108) Nigeria: from left hand side, 25 meters Okocha fires a free kick, but off target
-Nigeria are really dominating a sequence of the match ffor the first time
-Trabelsi helps out everywhere on the pitch for the possibly tiring hosts
-Nigeria: midfielder #14 Olofinjana has a good game despite the penalty
-for Tunsia defender Badra is imperial
(as far as it is possible to judge on individuals when concentrating on the match flow)
-('114) Tunisian defence wins race for loose ball after Boumnijel is out of his goal
-('116) Tunisia play it a little too complicated as they have the Nigerian defence surprised
-('120+1) Tunisia Madhbi, who has brilliantly taken away the ball from Olofinjana is injured what puts a delay on the final whistle

result after 120 minutes 1:1, penalties follow

penalties:

	Tunisia	Nigeria
#1	Badra upper left	Utaka upper left	1:1
#2	Santos upper left	saved by Boumnijel	2:1
#3	Madhbi lower left	Yobo upper right	3:2
#4	Benachour center	Udeze lower right	4:3
#5	Hagui left		5:3