NIGERIA 2 ETHIOPIA 0
(Nigeria win 4-1 on aggregate)
Nigeria - Moses 20' (pen), Obinna 82'
Man of the match - Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)
CALABAR, NIGERIA // Nigeria qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after beating Ethiopia 2-0 at home on Saturday in the second leg of their decisive play-off to go through 4-1 on aggregate.
Victor Moses gave Nigeria the lead after 20 minutes when he tucked away a penalty after Anyalem Hailu handled the ball inside his area, and substitute Victor Obinna doubled Nigeria’s lead on 82 minutes when he fired home a free kick to kill off the game and the tie.
The reigning African champions thus march on to their fifth World Cup finals having also featured at the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010 tournaments.
But the Super Eagles’ display yesterday inside the packed 15,000-capacity UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar was laboured and, until Obinna’s late goal, Ethiopia were still in with a chance.
Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa said it was a dream come true to qualify for what will be his first World Cup, but he blamed the hot weather for the team’s subdued outing.
“I thank God for the World Cup ticket, it is a dream come true for me. It has been my dream to go to the World Cup and I have made it,” said the CSKA Moscow forward.
“We would have done a lot better today, but the weather was hot and this worked against us.”
Meanwhile, Celtic defender Efe Ambrose now hopes Nigeria can shine in Brazil, saying: “I am happy to be part of this history making. My target is now to help my country do well at the World Cup.”
Ambrose came close for Nigeria right at the start of the game and goalkeeper Sisay Bancha then made a one-handed save from Emmanuel Emenike from 10 yards out as the home team pressed for an early opening goal.
Ethiopia’s Saladin Said then saw a shot from a tight angle flash across the face of goal before Moses calmly dispatched his penalty to put Nigeria ahead after Hailu was penalised.
Only a good Bancha save prevented Moses from scoring another goal on the half-hour, before the goalkeeper again denied Nigeria when he got a hand to Onazi’s left-footed shot in the 43rd minute.
Ethiopia had set their stall out to defend in the first half, but they came out of their shell after the interval and had a penalty appeal turned down in the 51st minute before Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama made a brave save at the feet of Shemeles Bekele as they continued to fight for the equaliser.
Ethiopia attacked and played with greater urgency in the closing minutes, but they lacked the bite to really trouble the home defence, and their hopes were ended when the power on Obinna’s late free kick proved too much for Bancha.
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
