CONGO OUTFOX NIGERIA SENDING SHOCKWAVES IN AFCON QUALIFIERS

Story written by Patrick Kamanga

CONGO OUTFOX NIGERIA SENDING SHOCKWAVES IN AFCON QUALIFIER

Thievy Bifouma was a live wire and gave Nigeria a game they'll long remember

The Republic of Congo’s national football team better known as The Diables Rouges (the Red Devils) lived up to their name and gave defending African Champions and World Cup representatives, The Super Eagles of Nigeria a nightmare of game. The Ogas will probably require some “exorcism” for the men in green to overcome the mental trauma of their 3-2 lose at the now popular home venue of U.J Esuene Stadium in the Port City of Calabar, Cross Rivers State. Not to offer excuses but in a classic David vs Goliath match up, if one considers that Congo are only in contention because Rwanda were disqualified for playing an ineligible player in the earlier round, then you can understand why the Super Eagles grossly underestimated their opponents.

The Super Eagles were uncharacteristically outsmarted, outplayed and out-muscled by their less fancied opponents who ran rings around them in front of their disbelieving fans. Even the Nigerian football commentators who are known to routinely taunt visiting teams were left to eat humble pie as they gave plaudits and heaped praise on the deserving Congolese visitors at the end of the game.

The Red Devils’ win pivoted upon two players; Ferebore Dore and Thievy Bifouma who gave the Super Eagles a torrid time during the entire game. 

Towering midfielder Doree was like a brick wall

At 6ft 4inches, the towering midfielder Ferebore Doree who plies his trade with Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv out-muscled and dominated his opposite number, Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel winning most aerial tussles, held the ball well to set up his team mates and thus dictated the game from the middle of the park. One would have to jog their memory hard to come up with occasions where the Super Eagles were the diminutive side! Well, eeehmm maybe when they've played the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the three AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) finals they've met in the past, all of which Cameroon won.
The burly, clever and quick footed French born Bifouma gave a virtuoso performance, was the live wire who tormented the Super Eagles at will as well, as the architect who created all the three goals.

The Super Eagles dictated proceedings in the early exchanges and rightfully took the lead from a header by Captain Efe Ambrose off a goalmouth scramble from a corner in the 14^th minute. Instead of subduing the visitors, the goal only roused and stung them from their slumber where they quickly equalized moments later, then took control of the game.

For the Red Devil’s first goal, Bifouma, donning an outrageous Mohawk hair style that would turn Mario Balotelli red with envy, took advantage of a mix-up between two Nigerian defenders; Chelsea apprentice Kenneth Omerua and Godfrey Oboabona and made a darting run on the right.  On getting to by-line, Bifouma made a cut back that took out the chasing Omerua leaving him sprawled. This act of trickery availed him the opportunity to pick the advancing team Captain Prince Oniangue with a diagonal pass who subsequently made no mistake with a first time volley.

Their second came off an unnecessary foul by Obi Mikel and from the resultant foul kick the home side conceded a corner after Ejide parried a thunderous strike. From the corner, a deflected cross found Bifouma who played a lightning quick one-two triangular play in the box that froze the entire Nigerian defense who were left ball watching as Bifouma from a threaded through pass and with acres of space beat the advancing Ejide at the near post to silence the partisan crowd.

With a courageous move that belies his tender age of 22 years, Bifouma currently on contract with Espanyol but on a loan stint with Almeria in Spain was at it again when he made an audacious run taking on two Nigerian players Echiejile and Ogenyi Onazi from a through pass, in the 52^nd minute. From the subsequent nutmeg, a move straight from Latin America or the Spanish league, he twisted and spun away from his two opponents with Onazi’s trailing leg, a knee jerk reaction tripping him in the box for a subsequent penalty which he slotted comfortably to pile the misery on the home side for a 3-1 lead!

A frustrated Obi Mikel had a terrible game and was culpable for the second goal

The frustrated Super Eagles fought hard and pulled one back at the stroke of the 90^th minute having survived several sucker punches as the Congolese sat back and played off the counter attack as the game drew to a close.

The Nigerian ploy of taking visiting teams to the far flung Port town of Calabar where they are reputed to host visitors in deplorable accommodations and training facilities all meant to psychologically pound opponents into submission even before they take the field on game day, failed miserably as the Congolese strutted out the winners with a comfortable win. 
Nigeria now travel to South Africa needing nothing short of an outright win against the Bafana Bafana next Wednesday to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Morocco finals alive.

Congo's Coach Claude Le Roy gets a thumbs up for a tactical masterstroke

  

With Nigerian football in disarray due to political infighting, national Coach Stephen Keshi looked baffled and clueless throughout as he helplessly watched the carnage unfold in front of his eyes as the game progressed.
In contrast, Congo’s jubilant Coach Frenchman Claude Le Roy retained his impeccable record over the Super Eagles that dates back 26 years when he coached Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions to a 1-0 win over Nigeria in the 1988 AFCON finals in Morocco, a game where Keshi was coincidentally the Super Eagles' Captain. Le Roy, the most widely acclaimed coach in African football history having traversed the length and breadth of the continent on numerous coaching assignments with different nations, sustained his record over Nigeria on prior coaching stints with Senegal’s Teranga Lions and the Black Stars of Ghana. Congo is the fifth African nation he’s coaching having led Cameroon on two different occasions, Senegal, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo and currently the Republic of Congo.

In another game Ghana's Black Stars needed a second half penalty to tie the game and save their blushes in a one all draw against the Uganda Cranes in Kumasi.
Tunisia gave a good account of themselves fighting from a goal down to overcome a resilient Botwana 2-1 who had taken a first half lead against the run of play.
In Dakar Senegal, the once invisible Pharaohs of Egypt continued their tumble with another disappointing show when they went down 2-0 to the pacy West Africans from two quick first half goals.