Nigeria beat Kenya, top Group F

Nigeria’s Uwa Echiejile (right) vying for the ball with Kenya’s David Ochieng during the 2014 World Cup qualifying match at the Kasarani stadium in Nairobi ...on Wednesday.

Nigeria maintain leadership in Group F of the African qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup after beating hosts Kenya 1-0 in their second leg tie in Kasarani on Wednesday. Nigeria now have eight points from four matches, while Kenya are bottom of the log with two points.

All Nigeria needed was an 81st minute strike from CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa to give Nigeria the needed victory.

The former Kano Pillars winger capitalised on goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng’s miscalculation to rush for the ball as the Nigerian chipped it into the net to send the small band of Nigerian supporters at the stadium into wild jubilation.

The other Group F match between Malawi and Namibia ended goalless in Blantyre, leaving the hosts with six points in four matches.

The Flames of Malawi could not find a way past the Brave Warriors of Namibia at Kamuzu Stadium, giving them their third draw in four games in the qualifying series.

Both Nigeria and Kenya were without some key players in the encounter with Nations Cup hero Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses missing out on the game for the Eagles, while Dennis Oliech and Arnold Origi were absent from the Harambee Stars.

The African champions had a tough day with their hosts as the Kenyans tried all they could to exploit their home advantage in front of a capacity crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre.

In spite of the lacklustre performance in the first half, Nigeria came close to taking the lead as early as the fifth minute when Dynamo Kyiv’s Brown Ideye got a chance at goal but he blasted the ball over.

Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was hardly tested for most of the first half waiting till the 39th minute to make his first save of the match, stopping Peter Opiyo’s long range effort.

In the 47th minute, Nnamdi Oduamadi missed a chance to put Nigeria forward after dribbling past Brian Mandela in the goal area, but Kenya goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng made a brilliant save to deny the Varese forward of his second goal in the qualifying series.

The introduction of Anthony Ujah to replace Ideye gave Nigeria more bite up front, forcing the Kenyans back, but the FC Koln striker wasted his chance to be on the scorers sheet when he headed wide a cross in the 72nd minute.

Nigeria’s next World Cup qualifier will be against Namibia in Windhoek on June 12. After that, the African champions travel to Brazil for the FIFA Confederations Cup which holds from June 15 to 30.

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