Nigeria came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 win over Ethiopia in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on Sunday after two goals from Emmanuel Emenike helped them take a big step towards next year’s finals in Brazil.
A 90th-minute penalty following a moment of defensive folly handed Nigeria an away win in Addis Ababa and set them up for a routine assignment in the return leg in Calabar on November 16.
Emenike had been tugged by defender Aynalem Hailu as he got goal side in the last minute in a clear infringement and got up to convert the resulting spot kick with ease.
Before that, he had struck a snap shot in the 67th minute from outside the penalty area to equalise after the home side had gone ahead in the 56th minute courtesy of a bizarre decision from the linesman.
A miscued cross from left winger Behailu Asefa swerved towards the Nigeria goal and caught goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama unawares, forcing him to catch it perilously close to the goal line.
Cameroon lineman Yanoussa Moussa, whose view would have been obstructed by Enyeama’s back, immediately signalled for a goal to the bemusement of the visitors but delight of the home crowd.
It made up for a similar close call in the first half when Saladin Seid had his effort hooked off the line by Nigeria centre back Godfrey Oboabona when the ball seemed to have crossed the line.
Television replays proved inconclusive and without goal-line technology officials allowed play to continue.
Seid proved a thorn in the side of the Nigerian defence but scuffed several good efforts and a draw would have been a fair reflection of a game in which Nigeria also struck the upright when Ahmed Musa saw his 77th-minute shot cannon back into play.
Having snatched the win, though, Nigeria are now overwhelming favourites to qualify for a fifth World Cup, ending a fairytale run over the last 18 months for Ethiopia.
In other African World Cup playoff first legs, Burkina Faso beat Algeria 3-2 and Ivory Coast beat Senegal 3-1 on Saturday. Later on Sunday, Tunisia hosted Cameroon to a scoreless draw.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
THE%20JERSEYS
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
