Nigeria crash out of World Cup

Paul Pogba headed goal in the 79th minute and a wicked deflection by captain Joseph Yobo ended Nigeria’s dream at the FIFA world Cup in Brazil and handed former champions, France, their first quarter-final appearance at the Mundial since 2006.

It was the same arena that Ghana's Black Stars ended their tournament at the group stage last Thursday after losing 1-2 to Portugal. For the French, who were not particularly outstanding in this game, the win gives them the passage to the quarter-finals.

For a greater part of the first half, the pace of the game was at a snail's pace but with Nigeria often the more aggressive. Their most notable efforts during this session coming after the 15th and 19th minutes. 

The first was when Peter Odemwinge was brought down few metres outside the box for a freekick that Emmanuel Emenike wasted. Then moments later, Emenike appeared to have found the opener when he side-footed Ahmed Musa's grounder past France captain and goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, but was ruled offside by referee Mark Greiger of the USA. 

Le Bleus also threatened a goal after 22 minutes with a Paul Pogba non-drop sizzler being parried off by Vincent Enyeama in the Super Eagles post. Emenike, who always seemed the most dangerous in the Eagles attack, thundered a shot two minutes to the end of the half, but Lloris dealt with it.

The pattern remained the same in the second half until after the hour mark when Karim Benzema almost broke the deadlock when his shot in the box thundered goalie Enyeama before Victor Moses emerged from nowhere to scoop the goal-bound ball on the goal-line to save the Eagles. But that near miss by Le Bleus was followed by a hail of French attacks, culminating in a headed goal by Pogba after Enyeama's parried ball during a goalmouth action, fell to him. 

The 79th minute goal gingered the French to greater efforts with ceaseless stampede of the Nigerian territory. But the bravery of Enyeama and defender and captain Joseph Yobo could not stop Le Bleus from scoring a second goal after an apparently tired Yobo deflected the ball past his goalie from a French onslaught after 90 minutes. 

The defeat marked another failed attempt by Nigeria to scale the second round at any World Cup since 1998, the last time that they reached the last 16 when France hosted the tournament and lifted the Cup.