Nigeria beats Iceland, does Argentina a favor
Ahmed Musa gave Nigeria its first win at this year’s World Cup, and gave Argentina a gift.
Musa scored two second- half goals to help the Nigerians beat Iceland 2- 0 Friday in Volgograd, Russia, and move into second place in the group behind alreadyqualified Croatia.
Nigeria will face Argentina in its final group match on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. If Nigeria wins, it will advance to the round of 16. But if Argentina claims all three points, it can still advance depending on the result of the other match between Croatia and Iceland.
However, don’t pencil in Argentina yet against Nigeria. Musa, Nigeria’s all- time leading World Cup scorer with four, has played well against Argentina. His two previous goals came at the 2014 tournament in Brazil in a group match against the twotime champions.
“It’s possible I’m going to score another two goals,” the 25- year- old Musa said.
Musa gave Nigeria the lead in the 49th minute after Victor Moses sprinted deep into the Iceland half and curled a cross to the near post. Musa deftly controlled the ball before slamming it past Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson on the half- volley. In the 75th minute, Musa picked up the ball on the left side of the Iceland penalty area, mazed his way past Halldorsson and picked his spot in the Iceland goal.
Iceland, the smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup, was not as effective as it had been against Argentina in their surprise 1- 1 draw.
Switzerland 2, Serbia 0: Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri scored in Switzerland’s 2- 1 victory over Serbia on Friday at Kaliningrad, and both celebrated by making a nationalist symbol to their ethnic Albanian heritage.
In the tournament’s first come- from- behind victory, Xhaka made it 1- 1 in the 52nd minute with a powerful shot through a crowded penalty. Shaqiri added the other in injury time.
Both put their open hands together with their thumbs locked and fingers outstretched to make what looks like the double- headed eagle displayed on Albania’s national flag.
“I think about this, I don’t want to speak,” said Shaqiri, who also took off his shirt after scoring. “In football, you have always emotions. You can see what I did, and it’s just emotion,
and I’m just happy to have scored the goal. I did it, and we don’t have to speak about this.”
The gesture is likely to inflame tensions among Serb nationalists and Albanians.
The win puts Switzerland into second place in Group E, tied with Brazil.