Cybereagles

Manager Gernot Rohr, a septuagenarian, had been feeling intense pressure from Nigerians after the disastrous image and home loss but he choose to make two changes. Bringing in the intense Chiedozie AWaziem to replace Ola Aina at right back and the ageing Ahmed Musa for Chiedozie Awaziem. Although many may have questioned the choice of the aging captain but the reality is that he had been involved in previous spirited bounce backs by this Nigerian team. Today called for such a bounce back. He may well not be as young as he had been in previous battles but his leadership may have been just enough.

The Central Africans buoyed by the unexpected win in Lagos and the hopes of their compatriots felt unhinged at the first sign of trouble. In desperation, they resorted to some exceptional challenges that forced match referee Hakizama from Rwanda to issue three cautions before the interval. Then it forced the Central Africans to make a substitution before the rest period and they had completed three substitutions before the clock counted 52 minutes. It was clearly desperation time.