World Cup 2014 – Group F: Nigeria vs Bosnia Herzegovina: 1-0

Starting Line Ups

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BIH:
1 Begovic
13 Mujdza
15 Sunjic
4 Spahic
18 Medujanin (Sub: 64’; Yellow Card 6’)
8 Pjanic
7 Besic
20 Hajrovic (Sub 57’)
10 Misimovic
16 Lulic (Sub 58’)
11 Dzeko

Subs Used:
9 Ibisevic (for Hajrovic)
23 Salihovic (for Lulic)
14 Susic (for Medujanin)

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Nigeria:
1 Enyeama
5 Ambrose
2 Yobo
13 Oshaniw
22 Omeruo
17 Onazi
10 Mikel (YC: 81’)
7 Musa (Sub: 65’)
8 Odemwingie (GOAL: 29’)
18 Babtun (Sub: 75’)
9 Emenike

Subs Used:
23 Ameobi (for Musa)
3 Uzoenyi (for Babtun)

Well, they came, they played, and now they’re going home. Unfortunately for the Dragons, they were beaten by Nigeria on Saturday. A draw would have kept their chances alive for the third match against Iran but unfortunately for them, they lost.

I wasn’t able to watch the match AND On Demand lied to me. They don’t have the match for viewing; just the Argentina/Iran match was available (even though it was listed… grumble, grumble, grumble).

The reports I read however said it was a pretty quiet match. There was the one and only goal by Odemwingie in the 29th minute for Nigeria which ultimately won them the match. This was also his first goal for Nigeria since August 2010 (source whoscored.com). Apparently, there was a goal in the 21st minute for BIH that was disallowed by referee O’Leary. From most of what I’ve read, it was a good goal, bad call sort of situation that we’ve seen a few times this World Cup.

Dzeko’s overruled goal

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Odemwigie celebrates his goal

How controversial could this be? Well, there is apparently an online petition with over 20,000 signatures on it asking for O’Leary to be sent home and the final score changed to 1-1. Now, what could prompt this? For sure a mere mistaken call, one that happens quite often in soccer, can’t prompt this sort of response, right?! Well, apparently no. It wasn’t just the call. But a picture of the referee seemingly celebrating with Nigerian players after the match.

Needless to say the Bosnian players aren’t happy at all.

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Dzeko after the match

– Mandi