WORLD CUP 2010: Greece 2 Nigeria 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RodOKfYqfqcendofvid
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By Ian Ladyman at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein

Greek god: Vassilis Torosidis scores in the second half to give Greece the win


Whatever happens for the rest of this slowly improving World Cup, little will match for
absurdity yesterday’s sight of Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama being helped off the field in tears just as he was announced man of the match.

If Nigeria exit after the group stage, it will be hard to decide who to blame.

Enyeama for the dreadful error that let Greece win or Sani Kaita for the naive foul that got him sent off when the Africans were leading in the first half.

How peculiar, though, that FIFA’s online audience should vote Enyeama the star only moments after he had essentially handed over the chance to progress.

The Hapoel Tel Aviv keeper made some good saves in this terrific game in
Bloemfontein, including a dive left to stop a Georgios Samaras header and a plunge
right to deny Theofanis Gekas — both made when it was 1-1.

But in spooning a low drive from Alexandros Tziolis into the path of Vasileios Torosidis with 19 minutes left, he took his side to the brink of elimination.


Seeing red: Sani Kaita covers his face after being sent off


With the usual discussion of the adidas ball later, Enyeama saw his chance.

‘If you watch the TV replays you will see it swerving,’ he said. ‘But there is nothing we can do about it. It is the ball that we have got, the ball that FIFA gave us. The man-of-the-match award means nothing now.’

After an early 40-yard Kalu Uche free-kick made a fool of Greek goalkeeper Alexandros
Tzorvas, Nigeria looked set to send Greece home.


Perfect start: Kalu Uche opens the scoring for Nigeria in the first half


But when Kaita recklessly kicked at Torosidis, the game changed. The Greek defender, later to score the winning goal, had made a meal of things but that did not excuse Kaita’s red card.

With an extra man, Greece came to life, as Dimitrios Salpingidis scored their first World Cup goal when his shot struck Nigeria’s Lukman Haruna and flew into the net.

Both teams then looked for a win that would give them an advantage ahead of the final group games.

Nigeria wasted their big chance when substitute Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi missed an open goal — and then Enyeama made his contribution.

Man of the match? For whom?
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