2002 FIFA World Cup (tm) Finals - Results & Fixtures - Sweden vs Nigeria

7 Jun 2002


Sweden	2 - 1	Nigeria
	(HT: 1 - 1)

Game Details
Venue Kobe Wing Stadium	Attendance 36194
Referee Rene Ortube (BOL) Assistant Referees Miguel Giacomuzzi (PAR) Mat Lazim Awang Hamat (MAS)

Game Events
#	Date	Player	Event	Period	Mins	H/A
1	7 Jun 2002	Julius Aghahowa	Goal	First Half	27	A
2	7 Jun 2002	Johan Mjallby	Yellow Card	First Half	31	H
3	7 Jun 2002	Henrik Larsson	Goal	First Half	35	H
4	7 Jun 2002	Henrik Larsson	Goal (penalty)	Second Half	18	H
5	7 Jun 2002	Marcus Allback	Player Out	Second Half	19	H
6	7 Jun 2002	Andreas Andersson	Substitute In	Second Half	19	H
7	7 Jun 2002	Celestine Babayaro	Player Out	Second Half	20	A
8	7 Jun 2002	Nwankwo Kanu	Substitute In	Second Half	20	A
9	7 Jun 2002	Niclas Alexandersson	Yellow Card	Second Half	24	H
10	7 Jun 2002	Bartholomew Ogbeche	Player Out	Second Half	25	A
11	7 Jun 2002	Pius Ikedia	Substitute In	Second Half	25	A
12	7 Jun 2002	Taribo West	Yellow Card	Second Half	35	A
13	7 Jun 2002	Anders Svensson	Player Out	Second Half	38	H
14	7 Jun 2002	Magnus Svensson	Substitute In	Second Half	38	H

Match report

Nigeria became the first casualty of the World Cup's 'Group of Death' when they lost 2-1 to Sweden. Two goals from Henrik Larsson cancelled out Julius Aghahowa's 27th-minute header and the Swedes managed to survive enormous Nigerian pressure in the last quarter of an hour. The Nigerians had been unlucky not to equalise. John Utaka had a shot cleared off the line with seven minutes remaining in the match and Joseph Yobo hit the post with a 25-yard drive just afterwards.
Nigerian coach Adegboye Onigbinde said his team had lacked the break which would have kept them in the tournament.
"The luck was on their side today. We had about four good chances which stayed out because of bad luck," he said.
"They played a good game. They're a strong side, very solid."
One half of Sweden's coaching duo, Lars Lagerback, meanwhile paid tribute to Larsson's match-winning performance.
"I am really glad for him because as well as being a goalscorer he also works really hard for the team and I don't know many goalscorers who do that.
"I think it was a more open game than we usually play," Lagerback added.
"Offensively we played very well but we had some problems with our defence. In total we had a very good game and I think we deserved to win."
Asked about the prospect of facing Argentina on Wednesday, he said: "It's a new match and we have to wait to see the result tonight."
Aghahowa became the leading candidate for the goal celebration of the tournament after greeting his glancing header past Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman with a spectacular multiple backflip that delighted the crowd. But Larsson and Freddie Ljungberg combined to equalise seven minutes later.
A perfectly-timed pass split the Nigerian defence and the pacy Larsson cut inside to plant the ball past keeper Ike Shorunmu. Sweden took the lead in the 62nd minute when Larsson converted a penalty after being tripped by Ifeanyi Udeze. Nigeria brought on Nwankwo Kanu in a bid to draw level but Sweden wasted a chance to take a 3-1 lead when Anders Svensson drove his shot straight at the keeper from a good position. Veteran Nigerian defender Taribo West, who had returned to the action wearing a bandage after five minutes of treatment to a head wound, sent a header narrowly wide from a Jay Jay Okocha cross. And Larsson then wasted a chance of a hat-trick by losing the ball in the Nigerian area. Still Nigeria pushed, Okocha blasting wide with 15 minutes left but it was not to be for the two-time African champions. They had almost taken a half-time lead with five minutes remaining.
The in-form Okocha dribbled round the Swedish defence and his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Teddy Lucic. The ball rebounded off his team-mate Johan Mjallby and hit the post. Aghahowa, currently with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, was a constant threat to the Swedish rearguard with his pace and strength, proving he has a bright future. Sweden's best first-half period came after 20 minutes when Ljungberg's dribble took him past three defenders, forcing a corner from which Mjallby's header was cleared off the line by Justice Christopher. The Nigerians, defeated 1-0 by Argentina in their opener, were in trouble in the opening quarter of an hour when Larsson broke and squared the ball to Allback whose poor shot was deflected for a corner and before the Nigerians regrouped, Olof Mellberg blasted just over the crossbar.

(courtesy of dailysoccer)




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Page created by Christakis Ioannou on 7 June 2002 23:34:08.