FOLLOW all the action from ReportersAtLarge as Nigeria take on Iceland at the 2018 World Cup on Friday 22 June 2018.
Full time – Nigeria 2 – Iceland 0
Iwobi gets his first touch of the ball as Nigeria look to wind down the clock with a bit of possession.
Time is running out and surely Nigeria have this one in the bag, but they are not a team to try and see the game out. Ndidi comes hurling forwards from deep and tries another shot from distance, this time it’s blocked.
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Alex Iwobi will come on for Etebo for stoppage time, of which there will be 6 minutes.
Another good chance for Iceland, this time for Finnbogason on his left, and he just lets the angle get too narrow, so it’s an easy enough save for Uzoho in the end.
Another Iceland sub: Skulason is on for Gunnarsson.
Nigeria have the wind up them and are going after more goals. Musa comes forward and has teammates both ways. He thinks better of shooting and feeds Iheanacho, but he shoots just wide from the edge of the box.
A sub for Nigeria, as Ighalo replaces Iheanacho.
Short run up, Sigurdsson goes for the top corner but he just leans back too far and sends the penalty over the bar!
Nigeria enjoy a spell of possession, but Iceland nick it and break.
It’s a good move and ends with Sigudarson going down under Ekong’s challenge. The referee waves it away but after being instructed to take a look at the TV replays he gives it! A lifeline for Iceland!
GOOOOOOOALLL! Nigeria 2 Iceland 0 (Musa) – 75′
Musa doesn’t have to wait long for his second!
Soooo close to a second for Nigeria. Musa receives the ball on the edge of the box, and cracks one off the bar! Haldorsson is completely fooled by the curl, but it bounces away to safety.
Iheanacho gets a corner right for the first time in the game and Balogun towers above the Iceland defenders to head at goal but he can’t quite keep it down. It only just misses the crossbar.
Another sub for Iceland: Sigudarson is on for Bodvarsson.
Gislason controls well in front of the Nigeria defence, and turns towards goal. He cuts onto his right foot and shoots… but it flies over the bar.
Moses drops his shoulder, jinks down the line and drills a decent effort at goal, but it flies over. The Iceland response has lost momentum… for now.
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Ragnar Sigurdsson is not in fact okay after that head knock. Sverrir Ingason replaces him.
It is lofted into the box, but it’s far too close to Uzoho, who claims with ease.
A rash challenge from Ndidi concedes a free-kick in a decent position for Iceland. 30 yards from goal, right of centre. Should be a cross rather than a shot.
Iceland corner. Sigurdsson jogs over to take it. The big men trot up from the back.
It’s a great ball in, and for a split second it looks like it might fall kindly for a blue shirt but Moses manages to hack clear.
A rocket of a shot from distance from Ndidi takes a nick off the defender and needs Halldorsson to take evasive action and tip over the bar.
Iceland have already rescued a result after going behind once in this World Cup and they have responded really well here. Gylfi Sigurdsson tries to bundle his way into the box, and calls for a handball when it bounce up at Ebuehi, but the referee waves play on.
A problem for Iceland here: Ragnar Sigurdsson was caught by Musa’s trailing leg as he dived in to block, and there is blood pouring from the back of his head.
But after a lot of treatment, he gets strapped up and is okay to continue after a change of bloody shirt.
GOOOOOOAAALLLL! Iceland 0 Nigeria 1 (Musa) – 49′
The throw in is cleared with a monster header from Omeruo, and in the blink of an eye, Nigeria race up the other end with Moses on the right.
He dinks in to the near post where Musa is there to control with one touch and rifle high into the net to put Nigeria ahead with only their second shot of the game. Unbelievable!
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Gislason drops deep to pick up the ball, and he lofts it into the box. Nigeria have a chance to clear but don’t take it, and Omeruo can only boot out for a throw in. Gunnarsson lines it up…
Nigeria have their first shot just a few seconds into the second half. Etebo drilling low at goal, but Halldorsson saves pretty easily.
A change for Nigeria: Ebuehi replaces Idowu, who was booked at the end of the first half. No change in system.
Iceland get the half started.
Half-time: Nigeria 0-0 Iceland
It’s goalless at the break but Iceland have had by far the best of that 45 minutes. Nigeria have had more of the ball and have probably been better than they were against Croatia, but they will need to improve massively if they are to win here.
A big second half to come.
After another couple of Icelandic crosses into the Nigeria penalty area, the ref blows for the interval. It hasn’t been a classic by any standards, but it’s entertaining enough. Iceland began and ended the half brightly, but Nigeria were impressive in between. Both teams are looking toothless up front and with better finishing, Iceland should be a goal or two ahead.
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Brian Idowu was booked for that challenge, incidentally. And it was on Bodvarsson, not Sigurdsson. We got there in the end.
Iceland win a free-kick wide on the right for a Brian Idowu foul on – I think – Gylfi Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson curls a wonderful cross in and Alfred Finnbogason looks certain to score. He’s not able to make meaty enough contact and the ball flashes wide of the far post.
Nigeria corner. Iheanacho curls it towards the far post and out of play. I wonder if the Leicester City striker’s role as corner-taker is as contentious in Nigeria as Harry Kane’s used to be in England during Euro 2016 …
Both managers will, probably be happy enough with how their teams are playing, although both seem to be lacking quality in the final third. A case in point: Bjarnason finds himself in space in the inside left channel and drills a cross into the penalty area, but fails to pick out Bodvarsson in a good position.
Wilf Ndidi picks up the ball from Victor Moses about 10 yards outside the Iceland penalty area. He curls in a cross but there’s nobody in a Nigeria shirt in range. Moses castigates his team-mate for not playing the ball back to him.
Nigeria free-kick, down near the corner flag. Kelechi Iheanacho curls the ball towards the near post but it’s headed out for a throw-in. Mikel chucks the ball to the edge of the penalty area, but Musa is unable to flick it on. The ball eventually goes out for a goal kick.
Iceland do what Nigeria have so far opted against by launching a free kick on halfway into the box. But the Super Eagles stand firm and clear. Again.
One quick turn from Sigurdsson on the edge of his own box and he turns defence into an Iceland attack. They go down the right and earn another throw-in in an advanced position, which is basically like a corner for them.
The ball is push up but not quite away by Uzoho, and Gislason rockets a volley at goal. Moses blocks but he’s in some pain. That’s right in the gonads. Ouch.
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Moses comes off the flank well to nip in and poke away from left-back Magnusson, and it looks like it might open up, only for Moses’s final ball to let him down, wrongfooting Musa, and Iceland clear.
