Emmanuel Emenike, joined the Turkish top club, Fenerbahce last month from Spartak Moscow on a fee of €13.2m, while Victor Moses was sent on a season loan to Liverpool for a fee of €1.2m. Moses goal came from penalty.
As anticipated, Nigeria dorminated the match, ball possession, pace and skills, but the Malawi Flames did their best to keep the score margin at a minimum level. The Malawian keeper made a couple of good saves.
The first goal came at the last minute of the first half, Onazi sent a long range ball from the midfield into the Malawian eighteen to Emenike who beat the defender marking him and lobe the ball over the body of the onrushing goalkeeper. It was a world class finishing from the striker.
The Nigerian team played very well, they showed that they have superior qualities to the Malawians, as virtually all the Nigerian players are playing in the major leagues in Europe, while just a couple of the Malawian play in South Africa.
The second goal was a beautiful combination between Nnamdi Oduamadi and Ahmed Musa. Oduamadi already beaten the first player and also beaten their captain who brought him down and referee gave penalty, which the new Liverpool man, Victor Moses, made no mistake in putting into the net.
After the match the Malawian coach, Mr Tom Saintfiet, said that, "We came with a game plan to hold the Eagles to a goalless draw in the first 45 minutes and then leave them apprehensive in the second half, but that didn't work"
"But that goal, with 30 secs left. It was a killer. It killed us and it was a mistake from my left defender.
"He was not coming back to defend and you could have seen me shouting, about five times to ask him to come back," he said.
"But I must admit we lost to a better side and I wish the super Eagles all the best and hope that they qualify for the world cup in 2014," he added.
As for the penalty given, he said that he was 90% sure that it was not a penalty, but would like to watch it again.
"For the penalty, I have to look at it again. But I am 90% sure it was not a penalty.''
Mr Saintfiet, acknowledged that the player, Limbikani Mvaza, as the last man, was wrong when he brought Musa down as he was rushing to the goal. He was sent off for a second bookable offence in the match towards the ending part.
''When I saw it, I would have given a red myself. But I spoke to the player and he told me he got the ball. I would still have given a red,'' he said.
On his own reaction the Nigerian coach, Mr Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, said that the Malawians came to defend. He said, that the game was difficult but he thanked God for the victory which is very important.
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| Victor Moses |
''Malawi is a great team, they came here with one target and that was to defend. It was a difficult game but we thank God that we got the victory, which is very important.''
''In all I thought we had a good game in the second half. In the first half the Malawians made it difficult because we didn't have enough mobility in the front line, but immediately we picked it we got the first goal from Emenike.''
''We decided to come out in the second half and play more intensive game and got the second goal again, penalty," Keshi added.
With this victory Nigeria has qualified for the ten teams play-off, it would be a two way matches, the winner would qualify for the 2014 world cup. The five victors will go to Brazil 2014. The draw for the play-off will be drawn on the 16th of September in Cairo.
The following 9 teams have qualified for the play-off, they are Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Algeria and Senegal. On Sunday, the winner of the match between Cameroon and Libya will complete the set.
The Result of this weekend WC Qualifier
South Africa 4 - 1 Botswana
Central Africa Republic 1 - 2 Ethiopia
Nigeria 2 - 0 Malawi
Angola 4 - 1 Liberia
Niger 2 - 2 Congo
Burkina Faso 1 - 0 Gabon
Sierra Leone 3 - 2 Equatorial Guinea
Gambia 2 - 0 Tanzania
Ivory Coast 1 - 1 Morocco
Tunisia 0 - 2 Cape Verde
Senegal 1 - 0 Uganda
Cameroon - Libya
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