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Nigeria has participated in the World Cup on six occasions but for Iceland, it is the nation's first time in the competition. In the previous edition, the African nation reached the Round of 16 before being eliminated.
After a shocking 2-0 loss to Croatia,Nigeria was left at a disadvantage going into the game. If they were to lose, the Super Eagles would be exiting the competition before the last match would be played. Fortunately, Nigeria put up a convincing second-half performance to ensure all three points.
Unlike in the opener against Argentina, Iceland was more spontaneous in their attack as the team got forward into Nigeria's half quickly. Although both sides had chances to take the lead, neither were able to find the net by the end of the first 45 minutes.
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Iceland had six shots with two on target, while Nigeria had none. The Super Eagles were extremely wasteful with their chances and passing. They did not look like they were going to score anytime soon.
According to Squawka, it was the first time in the competition whereby a side has failed to register a single shot in the first half of the fixture.
Iceland threatened on set-pieces, with Gylfi Sigurðsson often delivering dangerous and accurate balls into his opponent's box. His team-mates were close to slotting the ball into the back of the net but failed to do so.
Five minutes after the break, Ahmed Musa broke the deadlock from a counter-attack led by his team. He ran fast and moved into an empty space before poking the ball high beyond Halldórsson's reach.
Gernot Rohr's side seemed to have rejuvenated after emerging from the tunnel. The team started to press their opponents and move the ball with greater urgency and conviction.
Another chance came in the 74th minute for Musa, but his shot hit the crossbar. Less than a minute later, he made sure he repaid for his earlier miss.
Pulling the keeper wide, he shifted quickly into position to extend his country's lead. It was definite that all hopes were lost for Iceland.
The New Zealand referee gave Iceland a penalty after a foul in the box. The Everton midfielder played the ball over the bar. While he had impressed throughout the match, the penalty miss was simply disastrous for his side.
The second-half showed how good the Super Eagles can be when they want to, and it's certainly worth questioning how they lost to Croatia. Here was how things unfolded on Twitter.
