CAN 2021 qualifiers: Sierra Leone's incredible comeback against Nigeria
The Nigeria team at CAN 2019 (Illustration).
JAVIER SORIANO / AFP
Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow
3 min
After flying over the first half hour of play with four goals scored, Nigeria completely fell apart against Sierra Leone, conceding an incredible draw (4-4) on their lawn.
Sierra Leone holds the feat of this third day of the CAN 2021 qualifiers.
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It's only a draw, but the 4-4, won by Sierra Leone, has the delicious taste of unlikely wins, resounding successes.
There is no doubt that he will be listed in the Leone Star's greatest exploits guestbook, so gigantic is the performance.
Nothing, absolutely nothing could make believe in such an outcome at the kickoff of this meeting which opposed the leader of group L, Nigeria, triple champion of Africa, and the last of the group whose biggest facts of weapons are two participations in the CAN (1994 and 1996, elimination in the first round) and to have given birth to one of the best African players of the 90s, Mohamed Kallon.
Who could think of such an outcome when after less than half an hour of play, the Nigerians had already scored four goals?
Alex Iwobi had offered himself a brace (4th and 27th), Victor Osimhen had scored the second goal (21st), and Samuel Chukwueze (29th) humiliated the Sierra Leonean defense.
Double al-Hadji Kamara
Nigeria was insolent at ease, Sierra Leone was taking the water.
And yet… The incredible feat begins with a goal from Kwame Kwee (41st) just before half-time on an action where the Nigerian defense seemed already on hiatus.
The warning did not seem to make the Super Eagles shudder as they started the second half as they had finished the first: less engagement and impact in the duels, and less conviction in the game.
The second goal of the Leone Stars (Al-Hadji Kamara, 72nd) however wakes up the Nigerians.
Body language is not wrong;
Ahmed Musa and his family are in doubt, their coach Gernot Rorh is on the sidelines.
And if… Mustapha Bundu scored the third goal (80th), and all of Sierra Leone began to dream of a fourth.
Al-Hadji Kamara, on an action that illustrates the panic of the Nigerian defense, materializes the performance of his family by scoring his second goal of the evening after a series of favorable blocks.
4-4, Nigeria and stunned, Sierra Leone does not touch ground anymore.
Despite everything, Gernot Rorh's men remain at the top of Pool L pending the Benin-Lesotho match on Saturday 14 November.
Sierra Leone is still last in the pool and but can still dream of another feat: Nigeria arrives in Freetown on Tuesday, November 17 for the second leg ...
CAN 2021: calendar, results, qualifying rankings
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CAN 2021
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
Soccer