Well, it had to happen some time. But at least it was a long time in coming. Thirteen games into the 2014 World Cup there was finally a match that was not very good. Not that it quietened this arena: there was noise in Curitiba, and lots of it, there was just not much else. For a moment this felt as if it was going to be enjoyable, the momentum with Nigeria, but that moment was brief; the opening seven minutes were exciting; the remaining 83 were not. And so Brazil has its first draw as well and a 0-0 draw at that.
There had been 41 goals in 12 games before this match, at an average of 3.4 per match. There were not much more than 3.4 shots in this game – not on target anyway. Apart from one superb save from Vincent Enyeama, neither goalkeeper made a significant stop and, but for Ogenyi Onazi’s very early effort, no striker came agonisingly close. At times this was painful, though.
Perhaps this should not have been a huge surprise. Nigeria had not won in their last eight World Cup matches, since beating Bulgaria in 1998. Iran’s famous victory against USA at the same tournament is their only win in nine. Their preparation had been far from perfect as well, with resources as limited as institutional enthusiasm and international cooperation. Kit shrunk, games were cancelled and clubs refused to release players.
Yet qualification, secured with victory over South Korea, represented a huge success, prompted huge celebrations and meant there were hopes. Carlos Queiroz, who had put together a list of over 20 players with Iranian roots to scout, had built a strong, organised side.
Although there was no place for the Californian-born right-back Steven Beitashour here, Charlton Athletic’s striker Reza Ghoochannejhad was included up front alongside Fulham’s Ashkan Dejagah. Both had been born in Iran but emigrated when they were young. “Gucci”, scorer of nine goals in 11 games, played for Holland’s youth team as he grew up in the Netherlands, while Dejagah had played for Germany’s at juniour level. Neither could find a way through.
Nigeria came here with greater ambitions and started with eight of the 11 who began the Africa Cup of Nations final against Burkina Faso. Argentina make for fearful company but they believed that they could compete for second place. They had the support of the majority of the crowd too: the chants of “Nigeria” rang out as the national anthem ended. The roar was equally loud when Victor Moses had the game’s first shot two minutes in. The atmosphere in Curitiba was stunning.
Moses’s shot drew an easy save for Alireza Haghighi, the goalkeeper who had played just 11 games this season in Portugal’s second division. When he did drop one five minutes later, from a corner, he had been fouled by Mikel John Obi . Nigeria’s “goal”, scored by Musa, was disallowed. Nigeria were on top already, pouring forward, led often by Moses on the left. Another shot squirmed fractionally wide almost immediately, this time from Ogenyi Onazi.
It did not last. Iran settled, no longer so easily opened up. Their nominal 4-3-3 was swiftly a 4-5-1, with Andranik Teymourian periodically leaving the line to pressure higher up, closing down. Nigeria lost Godfrey Oboabona to an ankle injury and lost their momentum too.
When the two teams departed at half-time the scoreboard read 0-0 and the supporters showed they were unimpressed. There were boos and whistles. Nigeria had taken two shots that barely warranted the name, from Onazi and Emenike. And, indeed, the first half’s best chance had been at the other end, when Ghoochannejhad’s header from a corner was superbly saved by Enyeama.
Stephen Keshi replaced Moses with Shola Ameobi early in the second half and there was an intensity about them now that was closer to the opening minutes, but there was still little happening. As the second half drifted, the clock ticked and Nigeria played the ball around with an air of unease, there were whistles once more. The only shot, from Emenike, had sliced along way wide. They were still whistling when Ghoochannejhad collected the ball, dashed up the pitch and mishit another long shot a long way from its target.
Nigeria’s wasteful passing, allied to their desire to get forward but their apparent uncertainty as to how to do so, infuriated the crowd and encouraged Iran, who occasionally sprang forward, usually though Ghoochannejad. He had one shot on the turn in the Nigeria area. But it, like almost every shot that went before, was sliced. The closest anyone came was when Ameobi dived to reach a header about eight yards out.
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