Burkina Faso bag point with last kick of game
Reuters - Monday 21 January 2013, 20:12
Alain Traore grabbed a last-gasp equaliser to hand Burkina
Faso an unlikely 1-1 draw with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations on
Monday and leave all four sides level in Group C.
The
midfielder, whose selection was a gamble because he was still injured
when the squad was submitted, came off the bench to earn his side a
morale-boosting share of the points when he converted a cut-back from
Jonathan Pitroipa.
The
stalemate followed a 1-1 draw between defending champions Zambia and
Ethiopia in the earlier game at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium, meaning
five of the six games so far at the tournament have ended in draws.
It
was a cruel lesson for Nigeria who let their domination of the game
slip in the closing stages after full-back Efe Ambrose was sent off in
the 74th minute for a second booking.
The
Super Eagles paid the prize for squandering chances after Emmanuel
Emenike had given them a 23rd-minute lead with a goal that demonstrated
the strength of the three-man attack coach Stephen Keshi fielded.
Emenike
bundled the ball home after an audacious flick on from Brown Ideye, who
had three chances of his own in the opening exchanges.
Ahmed Musa's pace was also an important part of the armoury of a side Keshi is building for the 2018 World Cup.
Ike
Uche came on in the second half as Nigeria sought to extend their lead
and he created two good opportunities only to shoot wildly off target.
John
Obi Mikel, whose Chelsea team-mate Victor Moses missed the game with a
hamstring injury, also ballooned a late effort wide just as Burkina Faso
were beginning to stir.
Traore's
entry with 25 minutes left energised his team-mates and in tandem with
Jonathan Pitroipa they began to worry the Nigeria defence.
The two combined four minutes into stoppage time to stun Nigeria and leave their coach in good heart.
"The confidence we have got from a point against Nigeria is going to give us heart for the games ahead," Paul Put said.