Football - Match Reports - Japan 2 Nigeria 2
7/10/2001
Richard
Brown reports
Japan 2 Nigeria 2
Japan: Kawaguchi; Hato (Hiroyama 45); Miyamoto; Matsuda; K. Nakata; Ito
(Fukunishi 79); Toda; Inamoto (Oku 69); Ono (Hattori 45); Nishizawa (Suzuki
45); Yanagisawa.
Nigeria: Shorunmu; Ejiofor; Udeze (Babayaro 53); Oliseh; Okocha; Ojigwe; George; Agali (Lawal 73); Aiyegbeni; Okoronkwo; Babangida (Aghahowa 53).
Japan were forced to settle for a draw as Nigeria twice came from behind in this rain-lashed friendly at Southampton, England as their World Cup preparations continued.
The £30million St Mary's Friends Provident Stadium, home to Premiership side Southampton, was hosting its first ever international after opening at the start of the season in August.
Hidetoshi Nakata, star of Italy's Serie A with Parma, was forced out of the second match of Japan's 2-game mini-tour with injury.
With both sides already assured of a place in next year's finals, this was a chance for fans to judge their respective sides' chances of success.
The realistic chance that the two teams could lock horns when it counts gave the match a competitive edge and the 11,801 crowd, comprising largely of Japanese and Nigerian fans, soon forgot about the atrocious weather conditions.
Also dotted around the stands were supporters from English first division club Portsmouth, Southampton's neighbours and rivals.
They were anxious to have their first look at Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi after his £1.8million pounds move from Yokohama Marinos - a new club record.
After rousing renditions of both national anthems Japan got the game underway, which was delayed by ten minutes - reflecting the relaxed atmosphere of the event.
Within two minutes Tsuneyasu Miyamoto was called to concentrate on the business in hand putting in a smart challenge to snuff out the threat of Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
The distinctive figure of Kazuyuki Toda, eye-catching with his David Beckham-style mohican hairstyle, produced a sublime piece of skill to shake off the attention of two Nigerian midfielders - but he could not find a pass to match.
Japanese coach PhillippeTroussier ventured out into the driving rain to organise his players barking out instructions with the help of his translator.
Toda was booked for pulling back Aiyegbeni as he threatened to race clear of the Japanese defence.
But Japan scored the first goal of the game on 26 minutes after Nigeria conceded a free kick wide on the left.
Teruyoshi Ito swept the ball into the area and Yanagisawa rose to get the faintest of touches with his head sending the ball off defender Isaac Okoronkwo and wrong-footing keeper Ike Shorunmu.
But the joy of the colourful Japanese fans was short-lived as two minutes later Nigeria were back on level terms with a goal out of nothing.
Eric Ejiofor turned a hopeful ball across the face of goal but Naoki Matsuda made the worse possible contact to send the ball flashing past a helpless Kawaguchi.
Kawaguchi, who was being watched by club officials from new club Portsmouth, gave a demonstration of his sharpness to brilliantly palm away a well-hit volley from Finidi George - star with English Premiership side Ipswich.
Atsushi Yanagisawa found himself in a goalscoring position after being picked out by Koji Nakata but he sliced his volley well wide.
A row of pitch-side advertising hoardings were blown over by the swirling wind to bring an end to a stormy first 45 minutes.
Toshihiro Hattori, Nozomi Hiroyama and Takayuki Suzuki were introduced after the break at the expense of Yasuhiro Hato, Shinji Ono and Akinori Nishizawa and Suzuki burst into action with a shot well saved by Shorunmu.
Hattori then blasted wide before the heavy rainfall reached near-monsoon proportions comparable to the Japanese rainy season - during which the Finals will take place.
And the conditions were to play a part in Japan's second goal which followed Ejiofor's booking for deliberately holding back Junichi Inamoto.
Hattori
floated in the free kick, Suzuki met the ball with a volley from 12 yards
and Shorunmu got a firm hand to it but couldn't stop it skidding into
the net.
Kawaguchi pulled off a superb diving save at full stretch from an Augustin Okocha shot just moments later to preserve Japan's slender lead.
Victor Agali then headed wide from point-blank range after substitute Julius Aghahowa had put the chance on a plate for him.
Still reeling from his first half own goal, Matsuda was caught in possession allowing Aghahowa to race in on goal and find the equaliser with a clinical finish.
The jubilant goalscorer then added to the already carnival atmosphere among the Nigerians with a spectacular series of backflips in celebration - which looked even better in the slow-motion replay beamed onto two giant screens at either end of the stadium.
Aiyegbeni showed his human side when he sliced wastefully wide with just Kawaguchi to beat with three minutes remaining.
But there was a disappointing end to an otherwise enthralling game played in the true spirit of the World Cup when Ejiofor was sent off for his second yellow card of the game.