The Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown, Sierra Leone, was a hostile playing surface to the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday as they were held to a second draw in four days.
The point keeps them in the hunt for qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Cup tournament to be held in Cameroon.
Despite the words and the plan to redeem – the eagles were not able to engineer sustained pressure on the Leone Stars as the dry and bumpy pitch ensured great football could not be displayed.
The first half was as lacklustre as can be imagined with both teams jostling for midfield supremacy.
Gernot Rohr had to make an injury substitution as Oghenekaro Etebo had to go off and the Galatasaray midfielder was replaced by Shehu Abdullahi.
The Eagles upped the ante in the second half and had some chances to get the go-ahead goal but a header was cleared off the line in the third minute of the second half.
Iheanacho for a second though he had given the Eagles the lead in the 61st minute but the referee had blown his whistle even before Alex Iwobi crossed the ball.
Alhassan Koroma had a chance for the Stars on the dot of full time but he panicked and rushed his effort. Nigeria thus held on to their leadership of Group L with eight points from four matches; followed by Benin, who drew 0-0 with Lesotho, away in Maseru.
The Eagles’ next matches are scheduled for March 2021, when they will face Benin away and finish their campaign at home to Lesotho.
