By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Super Eagles’ harvest of failures in international friendly matches has continued as Nigeria, again suffered another humiliating 4-0 defeat in the hands of their Mexican counterparts in an international friendly tie in the United States of America (USA).
The Mexico versus Nigeria friendly match which was played at the magnificent 77,500-capacity Los Angeles (LA) Coliseum, on Saturday, June 3 which was early hours of Sunday, June 4, 2021 in Nigeria, saw the Super Eagles maintain their woefully record of not winning any of their eight friendly matches so far in the reign of Rohr.
In the latest match in Los Angeles Nigeria failed to threaten their opponents from start to finish as they crumbled like a pack of cards early on the day.
Two quick goals in the early minutes of each half earned Mexico an emphatic 4-0 victory over the hapless Nigeria team made up of players from Nigeria’s domestic professional league captained by Anayo Iwuala of Enyimba International FC.
In what was the concluding tie in the 2021 MexTour Series, Hector Hererra gave Mexico the lead after poking in from his team’s first corner kick barely two minutes into the game.
Though Ibrahim Sanusi tried frantically to clear the ball off the line, after Lobi Stars goalie, Uche Nwabali was displaced, he could not deny the North Americans their first goal of the game.
The ovation which greeted the first goal was yet to die down when the fast-paced Mexicans came calling again; opening the Nigerian defence before Rogelio Funes Mori blasted home from close range to make it 2-0 for Mexico in the first half.
On resumption, Mexico scored two more goals in the early minutes of the game and continued to press untill the Mexican coach made several changes which slowed the tempo of the match yet Nigeria could not reply with a goal.
Though the fast tempo of the Mexicans was slowed down by the Eagles, the CONCACAF Gold Cup reigning champions dominated virtually in all departments of the game.
Nigeria’s first corner kick did not come until the 35th minute but they made little out of it just as many Nigerian players were falling all over the pitch with some carried out on stretchers due to injuries and fatigue.
The hurriedly assembled team by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen and his Deputy, Coach Paul Aigbogun could not utilise the few chances they had in the 90 minutes even as Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr sat bemused throughout the encounter while Aigbogun shouted out instructions to the players.
Super Eagles have failed woefully to record any win in their eight friendly matches so far in the reign of Rohr.
Most recently in Austria, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions beat Nigeria 1-0 in the first of their two international friendly matches just as the second days later ended in barren draw.
Nigeria’s last win in a friendly match was in March 2019 when they beat Egypt 1-0 with a first-minute goal by Paul Onuachu of Genk at Stephen Keshi International Stadium in Asaba, Delta State.
