Sweden v. Nigeria

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Sweden v. Nigeria

Sweden And Nigeria Thrill All In World Cup Classic

by Jeremy Ruane

Sweden and Nigeria produced a FIFA Women's World Cup Finals classic in their "Group of Death" encounter at Winnipeg Stadium, with the African side twice coming from behind to earn a deserved point in a 3-3 thriller.

The Nigerians made the stronger and more lively start, first threatening in the sixth minute when Desire Oparanozie was fouled just outside the penalty area. Ngozi Ebere lashed in a wickedly struck free-kick, but Hedvig Lindahl proved equal to it, grabbing the ball amid a throng of players.

Seconds later, Liverpool's recently crowned BBC Women's Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, set off on a surging run at the Swedish defence, taking on and beating three of them. Nilla Fischer looked to obstruct the speedster, and did enough to allow Lindahl to gather the ball before Oshoala could unleash a shot.

The Swedish goalkeeper instantly launched a counter-attack, with Sofia Jakobsson scooting down the left before sending a low cross zooming across the face of goal and beyond the incoming figure of Lotta Schelin, one of the true greats of the women's game.

Nigeria hit back straight away, a teasing cross-shot from Ngozi Okobi leaving Lindahl in two minds as it arced towards, but ultimately just over, the target in the eleventh minute, two minutes after which Sweden went close themselves when Emma Berglund headed over from a Therese Sjogran corner.

North Korean referee Ri Hyang Ok ruled that the ball last touched a Nigerian, however, so Sjogran had another go. Precious Dede, the erratic Nigerian goalkeeper, punched the ball out, allowing Sjogran to regather and deliver a teasing cross, one which lured Dede out towards the penalty spot, despite the plethora of players in and around same.

Dede promptly flapped at the ball, but Sweden were unable to capitalise on the opportunity, something for which they made amends in the twentieth minute by taking the lead. Another Sjogran corner was flicked on by Nilla Fischer, the ball ricocheting into the net off the unfortunate figure of Oparanozie, prompting a despairing squeal from Dede amid Swedish delight.

Straight from the kick-off, the "Super Falcons" set about levelling the scores, Oshoala storming down the right into the penalty area before steering the ball back into the stride of Halimatu Ayinde. Lindahl turned her shot round the post.

Four minutes later, Oshoala did Lina Nilsson a treat on the right, then held off the pursuit of Sjogran as she surged into the penalty area, whereupon she thundered a shot past Lindahl and mere inches past the far post, the crowd's groan indicating how keen they were to see the Nigerians back on level terms.

They were presented with another chance to equalise in the 27th minute, when Oshoala's ball forward resulted in Oparanozie being hauled down just outside the penalty area by Kosovare Asllani, who was fortunate to escape being booked in a match which saw referee Ok keep her cards securely pocketed - in truth, this incident apart, she had no reason to brandish them.

Ebere lined up the free-kick and slammed it into the defensive wall, before steering the rebound inches past Lindahl's left-hand post.

From being inches away from equalising on two occasions, Nigeria found themselves two goals down in the 31st minute. Another Sjogran corner saw Berglund rise at the near post to head goalwards.

Ebere headed the ball off the line, and Oshoala headed it further clear before a Swede could react. Lisa Dahlkvist latched onto the ball and drove it back into the goalmouth, where Fischer was on hand to turn the ball home - 2-0 Sweden, a scoreline which flattered them.

That second goal seemed to knock the self-belief out of the "Super Falcons", who could have gone further behind six minutes before half-time had Dede not been right behind Dahlkvist's rasping thirty-yarder.

But they were given a lift on the stroke of half-time when Oshoala's angled slide-rule through ball invited Oparanozie to head for goal. Her progress was thwarted by Fischer's timely challenge, but Nigeria nonetheless took heart from both this and Francisca Ordega's charging down of a Fischer clearance three minutes into the second spell.

While her cross was too far in front of Oshoala for the Liverpool striker to capitalise upon, there was a sense of inevitability that when Nigeria finally found a way back into the match, their talisman number eight would be at the heart of the move.

Sure enough, five minutes into the second half, Oshoala got the ball rolling, linking with Ordega to present Oparanozie with the chance to drive a low cross into the Swedish goalmouth. Arriving on cue was Okobi, who gleefully steered the ball home beyond the static figure of Lindahl to the undisguised delight of the crowd, their roar of approval deafening as the Nigerians were finally rewarded for their industry and enterprise.

Three minutes later, Oshoala brought the house down - 2-2. Okobi turned provider this time, her through ball inviting the adopted Scouser to steal in behind Fischer then hold off the defender's attempts to recover the situation before drilling the ball home past Lindahl.

Back came Sweden, and how - they restored their lead on the hour mark with a scintillating move, the sort which you work on in training always hoping that, one day, it will come off in a match, especially one on a stage such as this …

Nilsson cut in off the left before slipping a pass to Jakobsson. Her deft back-heel found Schelin lurking with intent, but with her back to goal. As she turned one way, she laid the ball off in the other direction, right into the stride of Jakobsson, who had continued her run.

Through to the by-line she strode before angling a low cross towards the near post. Substitute Linda Sembrant, who had only just entered the fray three minutes prior, swooped to conquer - 3-2 Sweden. And you just knew that wouldn't be the last of the scoring in this engrossing affair.

Having been two goals down, the prospect of pulling back another one didn't phase Nigeria one iota. They set about restoring parity again straight away, with Ayinde and Ordega combining in the 61st minute, the latter's cross just too far ahead of Oparanozie as she raced in to meet it on the far post.

Seven minutes later, Nigeria came desperately close to equalising for a third time. Oparanozie roasted Elin Rubensson on the left before driving a low cross into the goalmouth. Okobi was frustrated in her efforts to turn it home by Lindahl, with the ball spilling loose just feet from the goal-line.

Fischer came in to complete the clearance, but could only direct the ball straight into the path of the fast-approaching figure of Oshoala, who was racing in on the far post, but too quickly to redirect the sphere on target, the ball cannoning off the striker and past the upright.

Oshoala and her team-mates couldn't believe it, and neither could the fans. Sweden's relief was evident, something which Jakobsson looked to capitalise upon in the 73rd minute with a thumping volley which Dede blocked with her shins before recovering the rebound to prevent the incoming Schelin from restoring Sweden's two-goal margin.

Nigeria weren't done with, Oparanozie unleashing a twenty-five yarder which Lindahl could only parry. Oshoala hurtled in to turn home the rebound, and appeared to be brought down by the recovering Swedish 'keeper as she looked to rectify her error. Referee Ok saw no foul - Sweden breathed again.

Both teams continued to add to their respective goal tallies over the next fifteen minutes, but with three minutes remaining, the goal the crowd desperately hoped for finally materialised - another Nigerian equaliser.

Okobi, later named FIFA's Player of the Match, worked a one-two with Osinachi Ohale on the right before threading a ball through the Swedish defence. Striding onto it was Ordega, who got the better of Swedish substitute Amanda Ilestedt before gleefully nutmegging Lindahl to earn the "Super Falcons" a richly deserved share of the spoils in this FIFA Women's World Cup classic - a 3-3 thriller, easily the best match of Canada 2015 so far.

Sweden: Lindahl; Rubensson, Fischer, Berglund (Ilestedt, 73), Nilsson; Asllani (Schough, 46), Seger, Dahlkvist (Sembrant, 57), Sjogran; Schelin, Jakobsson

Nigeria: Dede; Ohale, Ebi, Chukwunonye, Ebere; Oshoala, Ayinde, Nwabuoku, Okobi; Ordega, Oparanozie

Referee: Ri Hyang Ok (DPR Korea)

2015 Draw