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| Nerves Under fire coach Samson Siasia's side began nervously. Captained by Joseph Yobo, the defence looked at sixes and sevens as the Black Stars dominated the opening period. Prince Tagoe almost profited from hesitant defending that failed to hack it clear in the opening ten minutes. Tagoe lashed his shot wide. Former hot prospect Anthony Annan's shot just cleared Austin Ejide's bar in that opening spell, which also saw Tagoe fall heavily under Ejide's challenge. The striker recovered, but his next effort was straight at Ejide. However, for all their pressure, it was Nigeria that came closest to breaking the deadlock. Ahmed Musa was Nigeria's best player in the Under-20 World Cup and had already been recognised as one for the present as well as future. His cross from the right wing for Brown Ideye was the Super-Eagles' first attack – the danger was snuffed out by Ghana's newly installed number one keeper Adam Kwarasey bravely claiming the ball at Ideye's feet. Kwarasey was saved by the woodwork as Ideye struck the bar from 30 yards out with the keeper well beaten. The Super-Eagles had grown into the match after a hesitant start, during which the bane of recent Ghanaian football resurfaced. They create plenty of chances, play often delightful football, but if Asamoah Gyan doesn't score, it's hard to see where the goals will come from. Tonight was no exception. Tagoe failed to score. Albert Adomah had opportunities; Dominic Adiyah had a chance and Agyemang Badu was given time too. Gyan came off the bench as well, but none of them could find a way past Ejide at a time when the Super-Eagles, despondent after their surprise failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea made them ripe for the taking. Satisfaction “My thoughts were to make sure that we win,” Ideye said. “ I tried my best to make sure I live to expectations when I wear the green and white shirt, so I believe today's game was a little bit difficult, I think against a good side. I tried my best to make sure I scored. We came out here to win, but ultimately we share the points, so for me, it's good to play very well, so I'm happy.” It was a friendly without points at stake, but we know what he meant. Ghana created chances and Siasia's long term plans were clear. “Well the future plans is we have young players mixed up with older ones and we have a good team that we are still building, so if on Thursday I'm still here, then I think the future will still be bright for the Nigerian team, because we know with time we'll be a better team,” Siasia said while trying to fend off the questions about his future. “We actually gave a good account of ourselves, created a lot of chances in the first half ... we were about to score, but the bottom line is the team played very well – played very well and created chances and we could have scored.” Ikechukwu Uche induced uncertainty from Kwarasey with a run on the left flank and cross that was close to Kwarasey, but the keeper let it run across his goal. Unfortunately for Nigeria nobody followed in. Uche had two further opportunities as Nigeria ended the half looking the more likely to score. Kwarasey denied Uche first and excellent defending by Isaac Vorsah prevented the second. The first 45 minutes ended with an ambitious and ultimately poor effort by Obinna Nsofor. Goran Stevanović rang in the changes at half time as he tried to find a solution for the curse of Ghana's recent fortunes – the lack of goals – while Siasia waited. Dominic Adiyah and Agyemang Badu were given their chance, but they couldn't find a way past Ejide, although the previously impressive almost gifted an opportunity by fumbling an Adiyah shot for a corner. Stevanovic's defensive problems increased too as he tried out Genoa's teenage left-back Massawudu Alhassan. The 18 year-old performed well, as part of the back four of Isaac Vorsah, John Mensah and John Pantsil, but he succumbed to injury in the second half. Meanwhile, Musa was replaced by Kalu Uche and substitute Samuel Inkoom's 22 yard free-kick failed to beat Ejide. Badu went down in the box, but play was waved on to the annoyance of the Black Stars fans. They pursued the elusive goal with Annan trying his luck twice and despite Yobo's protests a free-kick was rightly given for handball. Badu wasted the opportunity. Agendas Siasia was right that Nigeria had opportunities – perhaps even the crisper chances in the first half, although if the Black Stars could finish, the game could have been over by then, a point which brought out a different agenda later of a journalist who disagreed with the obdurate Danny Shittu not being selected, arguing that his presence at the heart of the defence would have encouraged Ideye to score. “I think the defence played very well today, so I don't know if Danny Shittu's there, he can do better than Joseph Yobo,” Ideye said, after Siasia had rightly tried to ignore what he thought was a personal issue. He preferred to concentrate on the main issues. “We all know how it is,” he said. “...'keep your enemies closer.' It's always like that. I'm doing the best I can for the nation. If they have any issues with me that's their problem. What I'm saying is I'm a good coach. I've proved it in the Under-20s and 23s; I just need the chance to have a better team with the Super-Eagles.” Siasia's record would be impressive in other circumstances. “I haven't lost a game yet, not since before I got them, so to me I've done a job,” Siasia said. “It's not for me to say whether I stay or not, but for the future, how many coaches have we had in the last three years? We can't keep changing and then expect to have a familiar house. I'm not the one who will decide if I stay or go; it's left to them to do that.” He has faced virulent attacks from former team-mates, demanding his sacking and the Sword of Damocles still hangs over his head, but Siasia wants to continue – a job that has seen him try to instil discipline into a team that has seen older try to take over training camps. There are widespread rumours of dissent, yet he still has support. “Like the coach said earlier, we are trying to build a new team, mostly young players, so I believe in time that this team will be able to take on any team in the world,” Ideye said. Defending His Record While Stevanović refused to face the media, Siasia defended his record and outlined his plans. “[Clemens] Westerhof had five years,” Siasia said. “National team had qualified for the 1990 World Cup when he was still there. All I'm looking for is a chance to prove myself. I've done it with the Under-20s, 23s and more. It doesn't take eight months or ten months to build a strong team. Of course we look at the young players that are coming up. That's where we have to look at ... we have to go and scout these players to make sure we have better players in the future.” Siasia believes that he is on the right track, but needs time. “The most important thing is did we do a good job?” he asks before answering his own question. “I believe we did in spite of our disappointment on Saturday. Let us go on and we have a team that we can build for the future. That's the most important thing. We have a team that has prospects for the future. I think that's the way to go. It's now for Nigeria to decide if I'm still okay to be the head coach or not. I've not lost a game yet, so the team you actually saw what we did today ... We have a good team that we're actually building, thought I'm not saying that this team will just gel together in eight months. It takes time for us to be a better team.” He has to wait and see if he'll be given that time. |
