NIGERIA 4 - 1 MALI: Eagles on the wing

The score line may suggest total dominance by the super eagles but that’s far from the truth. The match was evenly balanced in terms of possession, shots on target and also attempts on goal. Ruthless finishing, (4 goals from 7 shots on target by Nigeria) and a clear strategy was what separated the two teams. Mali made severalchanges, Sow dropped to the bench, Sissoko kept his place even after a poor showing in the quarter finals and Traoure started . Nigeria were unchanged from the game against Ivory Coast.
 

Nigeria’s strategy was to attack Tamboura or the space between him and Wague. It was effective to the tee, three of the four goals coming down that flank. With Tamboura keen to go on overlapping runs, Emenike, Mba and later Musa made sure to attack this space when that happened.  Moses also drifted towards the centre of midfield and all the way to the right flank, a clear indication of their intent to attack Tamboura either by exploiting the space he left when he ventured forward, 1 v 1 situation or by overloading. Tamboura has been excellent so far but found himself exposed in this game. Moses got the better of him on a 1 v 1 situation for the first goal. The second goal, Emenike ran past him on his blind side to receive and cross for Ideye to score and the fourth, space exploited after he had marauded forward.
 

Mali recorded no shot on target in the first half not that they didn’t create chances themselves. Their in swinging corners gave them two chances (they still remain vulnerable to counter attacks though) and had they taken them, Nigeria would have been two goals down before they even had a sniff of their opponents’ goal. Midfield was fairly balance with patches where Nigeria managed to play through Mali one leading up to the free kick which was deflected towards goal. Nothing interesting happened in midfield and possession stats stood at 51% to 49% in favour of Nigeria, the 1% percent because Mali let Nigeria pass the ball around in their defensive third.
 

Begining of the second half Mali brought on Cheick Diarra for Maiga.  A notable difference was that Mali started to press Nigeria, preventing them to play out from the back. This also came with a high line. Diarra down the right flank brought some life into Mali’s attacking play creating a chance that Keita squandered.  Moses went off and in his place came Musa. He basically kept to the same strategy, attacking down the right flank. Tamboura had gone on a rampaging run forward, got dispossessed; a ball behind Mali’s high backline gave Nigeria the fourth goal.  It didn’t end there; on another three separate occasions Nigeria managed to penetrate the Mali defense down that flank but caught offside.
 

After the fourth goal Mali’s pressing dropped but still they managed to create chances thanks to the contribution of their two substitutes, Diakite and Diarra.  Three more chances fell their way but failed to convert this time Samassa and Diarra.  They recorded 5 shots on trarget by the end of the game, all coming in the second half.
 

For the first time in the knockout rounds has a team won a game by exploiting a weakness in their opponents. Nigeria came with a plan, executed it to perfection. Mali played hoping to create chances as the game ebbed and flowed. Create they did, but poor finishing is what let them down.