By Onochie Anibeze, Monrovia
The Super Eagles took a big step towards qualifying for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup in South Africa with a 2-2 away draw over boastful Lone Star of Liberia who had presidential backing to stop Nigeria from the continental party.
The match lived up to it's billing.President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had launched a campaign for the national team. She asked the wealthy and corporate Liberia to support the Lone Star financially and the commoners to play their own role by motivating the team through tremendous cheering.
She fired the first shot by promising the team S150,000 to beat Nigeria. That's huge money here. The players were fired up. 14 pros had been invited. The fans charged. And at 2 pm the 35,000 capacity Samuel Doe Stadium had over 40,000 cheering for a match that was still four hours away. The atmosphere was electric. They believed they could clip the wings of the Eagles.
And when they drew the first blood scoring Salmon Grimmes in the 6th minute the stadium went wild in celebration. Juwon Oshanuwa at the left back position has miscalculated a sailing ball and Vincent Enyeama did not also time his chasing of the ball. Grimmes ran in and jabbed in.
But Real Betis import, Nosa Igiebor eqaulised nine minutes later and Ike Uche put Nigeria ahead in the 20th minute through a spot kick after Victor Moses was brought down. Emenike and Moses were selfish on two occasions each.
They were close chances that would have increased the lead. But the closest chance was blown by Ike Uche. He kicked the ball high after a defender and the Liberian keeper Nathaniel Shirman had been displaced.
The Eagles could not hold unto the 2-1 lead as Roberts scored a second goal in the 66th minute to level up for the homers and the stadium again reverberated in ecstacy as fans danced on end.
The result moves decision day to October when the Eagles will host the Liberians in Calabar to decide who picks the ticket.
The result in Cape Verde was not palatable for the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon who are missing the magical wand of their inspirational skipper, Samuel Eto'o Fils as they buckled 0-2 to their host just as Cote d'Ivoire handed Senegal a 4-2 pounding in Abidjan.
In orther matches, the Black Stars beat Malawi 2-0 in Accra in honour of their late president, John Atta-Mills while Sierra Leone were held 2-2 in Free Town by Tunisia.
Mali trounced Botswana 3-0 in Bamako while Sudan were ruthless against Ethiopia who succumbed 5-3 in Khartoum.
