Nigeria will be playing in next summer's World
Cup in Brazil after defeating Ethiopia 2-0 on
Saturday to seal a 4-1 aggregate play-off
triumph.
After winning the first leg 2-1 in Addis Ababa
last month, Victor Moses' 20th-minute penalty
and substitute Victor Obinna's late free-kick
earned Stephen Keshi's side a 4-1 aggregate
victory and secured their place at the finals for
a fifth time in six attempts.
The hosts were strong favourites coming into
the game, with the added benefit of two away
goals from the first leg, and when Aynalem
Hailu was deemed to have handled the ball
inside the area, Moses dispatched the penalty
leaving the visitors needing two goals just to
force extra time.
In truth, Sewnet Bishaw's side created little,
and when Obinna thumped home a 25-yard
free-kick with eight minutes remaining it
sealed a comfortable passage for Nigeria.
The hosts made two changes from the first leg
with Brown Ideye and Kenneth Omeruo
returning to the starting XI, while coach
Bishaw made four alterations for Ethiopia, with
first-leg goalscorer Behailu Assefa among those
to miss out.
Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike, who netted a
brace in the first leg, was the first to threaten,
the striker seeing his close-range volley
acrobatically parried away by Sisay Bancha in
the sixth minute.
But it was a controversial incident that saw the
home side take the lead 14 minutes later when
defender Hailu was harshly adjudged to have
handled the ball in the area.
The defender attempted to block a cross from
the left, with the ball striking his thigh and
bouncing up onto his right arm.
The referee pointed to the spot despite strong
protests from the visiting players, before
Moses stepped up to send Bancha the wrong
way from 12 yards.
Ideye twice wasted opportunities to extend
Nigeria's lead before the break, heading
narrowly wide from Ogenyi Onazi's right-wing
cross on the half-hour mark before blazing
over after Bancha had parried Onazi's effort
two minutes before the interval.
In a largely uneventful second half, Bancha
rushed from his line to deny Emenike on the
hour, before Obinna – on as a 79th-minute
replacement for Moses – sent a vicious dipping
free-kick beyond Bancha.
The goalkeeper really should have done better,
wafting an arm at the ball as it flew past him,
but it was of no concern to Nigeria, sparking
scenes of celebration at the final whistle.
