Football | Super Eagles
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Nigeria sealed their qualification for the 2014 Fifa World Cup when they defeated Ethiopia 2-0 at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar on Saturday afternoon.
Victor Moses and Obinna Nsofor scored the goals to help the Super Eagles secure a 4-1 aggregate win after they had won the first leg in Addis Ababa 2-1.
The hosts had a chance to break the deadlock in the sixth minute when Moses released Emenike on the right, but his shot was pushed wide by Sisay Bancha.
The opening goal arrived in the 20th minute when Moses slotted the ball into the bottom right corner from the penalty spot after Aynalem Hailu was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box.
Nigeria came close to doubling their lead after the half-hour mark but Moses was denied by a good save from Bancha before Brown Ideye headed wide at the far post from Ogenyi Onazi’s cross.
Onazi also threatened with a powerful strike from outside the box in the 43rd minute but his shot was blocked by Bancha before Ideye rushed his follow-up shot over the crossbar.
Chances were few and far between in the second half but Shimelis Bekele almost broke through the left side of the box in the 54th minute yet Vincent Enyeama came off his line to smother his effort.
Bancha then pulled off two good saves at the other end to keep his side in the game, denying Emenike in the 60th minute before stopping another effort from Ahmed Musa two minutes later.
However, Stephen Keshi’s side sealed the win in style in the 83rd minute when Nsofor beat the goalkeeper with a well-struck freekick five minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Nigeria (1) 2 (Moses pen 20’, Nsofor 83’)
Ethiopia 0
Nigeria: Enyeama; Ambrose, Omeruo (Egwuekwe), Oboabona, Echiejile; Onazi, Mikel; Musa, Moses (Nsofor 78’), Ideye (Mba 58’); Emenike
Ethiopia: Bancha; Alula, Aynalem, Bargecho, Abebaw; Megersa, Teshome (Fekadu 81’); Bekele (Hinsa 75’), Adane, Kebede (Assefa 60’); Said
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