As the 2016 Olympic Games opens in Rio De Janeiro, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that the country’s team will put up an impressive showing to delight fellow countrymen.
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Oghenakaro Etobo scored to restore the lead for Dream Team VI, but Japan replied through Takumi Minamino to equalise.
Unstoppable Etebo continued his dazzeling performance and scored just before half time to give his team a half time lead before adding two more goals to his tally in the second half with a 51st minute penalty and a 66th minute shot from outside the box into an empty net. “My boys defied science to win this game; what gave us this game was the mental toughness of the boys”, Siasia said after the game.
Our target here is to win the gold and this is just the first step of us achieving that aim.
However, they still managed to see off Makoto Teguramori’s side with Oghenekaro Etebo scoring four goals at the Arena Amazônia, Manaus. “For a team not to train for two days and put up this type of performance is a miracle”, Siasia said.
“When players are exhausted they tend to lose focus”.
On 60 minutes Mothobi Mvala was sent off for a second yellow card, and life became more hard for the South Africans, but they held on and earned a useful 1-1 draw against the hosts, who are determined to win their first ever football Olympic gold.
They will be hoping to tighten up at the back when they face Sweden on Sunday, after conceding 4 goals against Japan. “For now, all I can say is I just want to go and savour this victory with my players”.
While Siasia cherishes the win, he said he and his players had shifted focus to Sunday’s match against Sweden.
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The Nigerians only flew into the country a few hours before the game, due to a week of delays and problematic travel plans, but the issues did not stop them from getting off to a winning start in Olympic men’s football action.
