Goals galore in Durban WC Qualifier
2 July 2009
There was no shortage of goals or drama on the opening day of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2009 Qualifier in Durban on Wednesday, with 33 shots finding the net in the three games and a controversial sudden-death penalty shootout adding to the excitement.
There was little tension in the tournament opener between Nigeria and newcomers Mauritius, with the West Africans running out easy 13-0 winners.
Thereafter, however, it was action all the way as, firstly, Senegal needed a couple of brave refereeing decisions to scrape past newcomers Libya in a sudden-death penalty shootout, and then South Africa were beaten by a slick Moroccan side in a match that could easily have gone the other way.
The disappointing 4-2 loss for the hosts means their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are extremely slim.
They need to beat the potent Cote d'Ivoire outfit on Friday to have any chance of going through to the semi-finals on Saturday. In addition, South Africa also need Cote d'Ivoire to beat Morocco on Thursday or South Africa's hopes of going any further in the tournament are ended no matter what the result of their final pool match on Friday.
Frustration
South Africa will look back on Wednesday's match with frustration after they created enough chances to secure a comfortable victory, but their struggles to hit the target when in front of goal meant it was an uphill struggle for the host nation.
In contrast, lanky Moroccan striker Salhi Yassine clinically drove home two blistering goals, one a powerful field goal and the other a dubious penalty, in the final six minutes to secure victory for the Moroccans.
South Africa opened the scoring when Phakathi Nduduzo was on hand to slot home after Moroccan keeper El Khal Abdelmhajid could only parry away Bhengu Phumelele's scorcher.
Two goals from burly striker Quadouch Jawad then saw the teams end the first period with Morocco one goal to the good. At the end of the second period the scores were level once more thanks to Mthembu Thando's blistering free kick which gave Abdelmhajid no chance.
The third and last period was 12 minutes of tough, uncompromising beach soccer, with the outcome in doubt until Yassine's two strikes ended South African hopes of victory, and probably killed off any hopes of the hosts qualifying for the finals tournament in Dubai.
Drama
There was plenty of drama in the second match on Wednesday with the 7-7 scoreline at the end of regulation time between Libya and Senegal just the start of the show.
Defending champions Senegal eventually emerged as the victors after winning a controversial sudden-death penalty shootout 4-3, but only after both teams had been forced to retake missed penalties (and thus match-losing efforts in the sudden-death format) because the keepers came off their lines too early.
Then frustrated Senegal keeper Ndiaye Al Seyni had his spectacular save of Hamdi Ali's effort cancelled out for the same infraction, before Ali's retake went wide to give the Senegalese a heart-stopping victory.
Senegal had to work hard for the 7-7 draw against the first-timers and it was only thanks to some clinical finishing from striker Koukpaki Pape Jean that the defending champions made it over their first hurdle.
Jean and his Libyan opposite number Abdulkader Al Edresi traded goals throughout the match and their personal duel to find the net reflected the team's fortunes as they ended with five and four goals respectively.
Libya surprise
The 2008 winners took a bit of time to get going and were surprisingly 2-0 down midway through the first period, with Libya determined to show that they may be playing their first qualifying tournament, but were anything but there just to make up the numbers.
Once Niang Habib and Jean had cancelled out early Libyan goals, the physical Senegalese - who were, on average, a head taller than their opponents - set about securing their first win.
They seemed to be in control throughout as Jean and Diagne Victor ensured a 4-2 lead at the first break. That two-goal cushion looked as if it would be decisive as Libya were never able to get back on equal terms until Al Edresi's fourth and final goal a minute from time took the game into extra time.
With no goal in the three extra minutes the match was decided by the penalty shootout.
If Jean had thoughts that his four goals would put him in pole position for the award as the top goalscorer in the tournament, they were dashed by in the contest between Nigeria and Mauritius.
Goal blitz
Six goals from Nigerian striker Olawale Isiaka, including a four-goal blitz in the final period, enabled Nigeria to cruise to an emphatic 13-0 demolition of the islanders in their tournament debut.
After Nigeria had laboured to a commanding but uninspiring 4-0 lead after the first two periods, the floodgates opened in no uncertain terms.
With Isiaka's four goals adding to the two he scored in the first period, Nigeria were able to look back on the tournament opener with extreme satisfaction. But, with Mauritius looking completely out of their depth from the kickoff, the Nigerian management would not have been happy with their team after the first two periods, despite the comfortable scoreline.
It was obvious that the Mauritian squad comes from a field soccer background and they looked as if they were trying to adapt to the soft sand, while Nigeria looked rusty but skilled in the subtleties of beach soccer.
Isiaka may have been the lynchpin around which the Nigerians built their victory, but it was a team effort, and they three-goal showing of Ibenegbu Bartholomew was a mere sideshow as his fellow striker hogged the limelight.
SAinfo reporter
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