Iran 0-0 Nigeria: A lackluster performance in Baixada
At the Arena da Baixada, Iran and Nigeria produced the most boring match so far at the 2014 World Cup, with neither player able to find the back of the net.
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| Neither team made a difference. |
Fielding their strongest lineups, both Iran and Nigeria hoped to find joy in their opening match. With superior physique and stamina, Nigeria immediately established dominance, thanks to their possession and frequent victories in one-on-one duels.
However, Coach Keshi's team appeared too hasty and lacked composure in their final touches. Meanwhile, Iran almost exclusively deployed striker Reza upfront, creating an extremely solid defensive wall in front of goalkeeper Haghighi.
In this match, Nigerian midfielder Obi Mikel was tightly marked, which led to a lack of creativity from the "Super Eagles" throughout the game. And even with the introduction of Ameobi and Odemwingie in the second half, Nigeria was still unable to break the deadlock.
The Asian representatives, Iran, also occasionally gave Nigerian fans a scare with their dangerous set-piece situations. However, with players of relatively low caliber, the quality of Iran's counter-attacks was unsatisfactory.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw. This was the first encounter at the 2014 World Cup to end in a draw, and moreover, with no goals scored. Iran and Nigeria temporarily share the 2nd and 3rd positions in the standings after the first round of matches in Group F.
STARTING LINEUP:
Iran:Haghighi, Heydari (Shojaei 89'), Haji Safi, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Nekounam, Timotian, Montazeri, Ghoochannejad, Dejagah (Jahanbakhsh 78'), Pooladi.
Nigeria:Enyeama, Ambrose, Oshaniwa, Oboabona (Yobo 29'), Omeruo, Mikel, Onazi, Azeez (Odemwingie 69'), Musa, Moses (Ameobi 52'), Emenike.
