The Nation Newspaper

Tag: goal

  • Europa League:Joel Obi’s goal lifts Inter

    Super Eagles returnee, Joel Obi, was among the goal scorers on the night as Serie A giants, Inter Milan eased to a 3-1 away win over Azerbaijan’s Neftchi to move to four points from two Europa League Group H matches.

    The Nigeria international, who recently returned from injury, was rated high in the first UEFA game between clubs from Azerbaijan and Italy, the Nerazzurri strode into a three-goal lead by the break.

    Fredy Guarín crossed for Coutinho and Obi before instigating Marko Livaja’s second goal in the competition. Nicolás Canales got one back in the 53rd minute as Neftçi upped their game, but Inter held on comfortably to move onto four points in Group H.

    The hosts started nervously and when Jonathan released Guarín in the tenth minute, the Colombian played a telling ball for Coutinho, who applied a tidy back-flicked finish. Neftçi roused themselves, but just as it looked as though they were getting a foothold in the game, Inter struck again.

    Guarín ran onto Coutinho’s lay-off, streaking down the right before squaring for Joel Obi. The Nigerian had never scored for Inter, but that did not show as he placed his shot across Saša Stamenkovic with supreme confidence to double his side’s lead on the half-hour.

    Inter Milan were cruising by the 42nd minute when Livaja made it three. Guarín was again involved, threading through a pass that Bruno Bertucci could only divert into the path of Livaja and the Croatian had the simple task of heading into an empty net.

  • Four-star Chidera eyes more goals

    He has already scored four goals in two matches for the Golden Eaglets but Chidera Ezeh has confidentially enthused that he would get among the goals if fielded against Junior Menas of Niger on Saturday.

    Chidera, one of the graduates from the national Under-15 team, has responded with aplomb with a rich vein of form. He cracked home the team’s first ever hat-trick when he came in as second half substitute in a recent international friendly against Junior Wasps of Rwanda and increased his tally to four with a beautiful solitary strike in the 4-1 win over Niger penultimate Saturday.

    Yet the lad has set fresh target, saying he relishes the opportunity of playing for Nigeria at this level.

    “I think all goals I have scored are important but I’ll pick the goal I scored against Niger in Niamey as the best yet because it was in a competitive match,” said the Senior Secondary School 2 student. “I’ve been lucky to be here and I want to make good use of every opportunity given to me.”

    Asked if he has premonition that he was going to score against Niamey after coming on as a second half substitute for two-goal hero, Ibrahim Alhassan.

    “The credit must always go to the coaches who thought I could do something by bringing me on to play against Niger,” Chidera as he loves to be called, said with child-like innocence. “I love scoring goals and I don’t usually go into a match thinking of whether I would score or not.

    “I always pray to be at the right position at the right time and I hope I would be given the same opportunity on Saturday,” he said asking Nigerians to pray for the team’s success.

    “Our team is very good and we can be better,” he said matter-of-factly. “We want Nigerians to keep faith with us and we won’t disappoint them. We would approach the game against Niger on Saturday with all seriousness and I would be glad if given the chance to play.”