End of the road to S/Africa? - Super Eagles held to 2-2 draw by Tunisia

By Dimeji Ojo,

THE dream of Nigeria’s Super Eagles to qualify for the 2010 World Cup suffered a major setback on Sunday at the National Stadium, Abuja, as they were held to 2-2 draw by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.The Tunisian side maintained its lead on the table with eight points, leaving the Nigerian Eagles on six points.For the Super Eagles, however, to be at the 2010 mundial billed for South Africa, they have to beat the Harambee Stars of Kenya at away and also Mozambique in Abuja to finish with 12 points.Also, Nigerians would have to pray fervently for the Carthage Eagles to lose at away to Mozambique that would make them to finish 11 points if at all they beat Kenya in the last game.Tribunesports recalls that the Super Eagles once scaled through this similar setting on the way to the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup as they defeated Sudan 4-0 in Omdurman when all hopes seemed to have been lost.It was a disappointing performance by the Shaibu Amodu - piloted Eagles on Sunday.The team put smiles on the faces of Nigerians in the 22nd minute as Osaze Odemwingie out of sheer brilliance shot into the roof of the net after making a solo run down the box.However, the celebration that greeted the curtain raiser hardly ended when Nabil Taider got the equaliser for the visitors with a powerful low drive which stretched goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to the limit.The Tunisians were more organised in the second half as they held onto the ball to keep the homers at bay.Substitute Tunisia-based Michael Eneramo put Nigeria ahead again in the 80th minute when he connected a cross from Obinna Nsofor with a jab past goalkeeper Mathlouthi Aymen.Nigerians were waiting anxiously for the final whistle before Darragi Oussma got the leveller, when he intelligently chipped the ball into the roof of the net in the 89th minute with Enyeama at his mercy.