By Audley Boyd, Staff Reporter
Jamaica's Ricardo Gardner (in goal), 'keeper Aaron Lawrence (on ground), Damion Stewart, second left, and Claude Davis (right), react after Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu, second right, turns a ball into their goal to tie the score 2-2 in their game at the National Stadium last night. Jamaica won 3-2. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
JAMAICA'S Reggae Boyz needed to even the score against Nigeria's Super Eagles in a game dubbed 'The Decider', following one loss and two draws in three previous matches against the Africans.
Well, they got it, winning 3-2 with Andy Williams' angled goal in the last minute of a lengthy stoppage time as well as massive help from their 12th man - the crowd - in a friendly international at the National Stadium last night that tapered off into a very unfriendly and ugly finish.
After Nigerian star and captain Nwankwo Kanu had scored their second consecutive goal to tie the game 2-2 10 minutes from time, spectators in the Bleachers area facing the Grandstand begun raining plastic bottles full of water first at assistant referee Rinaldo Francis, then a team of officials led by Sports Minister, Portia Simpson Miller and JFF president Captain Horace Burrell.
The official team had left the Grandstand and walked across the field hoping to restore calm to the spectators, who reacted angrily to the action of several Jamaican players who were contesting the goal as they felt a foul should have been called.
There seemed to be some confusion after with several members of the Nigerian team heading off the field. But following consultation between the Trinidad and Tobago referee, Neil Brizan, and Francis, the goal was awarded. Then came the bottle throwing which held up the game for five minutes.
"Naturally, I went there, the Minister went there because for Jamaica it would've been terrible," said Burrell.
VIOLENCE
"FIFA frowns very seriously on violence and bad behaviour inside stadiums. If the match had been blown off severe sanctions would have been filed against Jamaica. We cannot afford that and I want to use this opportunity to remind spectators that bad behaviour will cause Jamaica to be kicked out of world football and severe sanctions to be taken against us.
"This should never happen again and I'm really pleading with the supporters not to do that again because Jamaica will suffer," warned the JFF president who is also a member of FIFA's disciplinary committee.
At the time of the incident, the Nigerians were in total control after battling back from a 2-0 deficit made before half-time with solo goals from the ever goal-productive duo of Onandi Lowe and Jermaine Johnson.
Lowe took a pass on his chest from Theodore Whitmore midway the half and fought past three defenders before hitting a low shot past goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi to give the Reggae Boyz a 25th minute lead.
'Teddy' Johnson took a pass off Andy Williams in a transition play wide right near half line and blew past a defender before dribbling another one and one to make room and hit powerfully and into Rotimi's net at the far post at the 39th minute.
"From I got the ball and I saw a one on one I knew I could score," said Johnson who has battled to keep his place in the starting eleven. "I feel very good to score against Nigeria. I just have to keep on scoring."
Jamaica, which gained momentum after Lowe's goal, played a lot of long passes, looking to capitalise on the size of Lowe while playing less of a team game. They often gave up the ball just outside the penalty box but could have scored in the first half again when full back Michael Johnson hit a 'sitter' on the goalie from inside the six-yard box, after Rotimi had released Lowe's ferocious curling free-kick.
POSSESSION
The stronger and more skilful Nigerians dominated possession with slick passes and dribbling and might have scored at least four goals also, after No. 10 striker Uche Ugochukwu, missed three easy goals unchallenged and Kanu magically turned a freekick past a defender glued on his back, before gently lobbing Donovan Ricketts and hitting the bar.
They had hit the bar earlier at the 9th minute on a 25-yard drive from Nwankwo's brother, Ogbonna Kanu.
After an even start, the Nigerians took over after about 15 minutes and Ugochukwu finally made the Boyz pay at the 69th by converting one of Nwankwo's super through passes, hitting low into the far post across Aaron Lawrence, who had replaced Donovan Ricketts at the half.
Their dominance became greater with Jamaica unable to get the ball past half line and Nigeria probing constantly. They finally got a predictable goal at the 80th when Joge Nixon's header off a corner rebounded into play and Nwankwo, with back to goal, controlled and turned in one motion before slicing a pass into the unprotected area to score the equaliser. Then came the confusion, and bottle throwing.
"After 2-2 the fans brought pressure on us so despite the game we didn't want to play anymore," said Arsenal star Kanu. "The feeling wasn't good. We got so many penalties and they didn't give them to us. But the Jamaicans are good and we gave them a good game."
