VICTORIOUS AUSSIES LEFT THINKING "WHAT A DICK"
Dick Advocaat was not present at Craven Cottage to witness Australia’s one nil victory over Berti Vogts’ Nigeria today. He was, up until kick-off, expected to attend. But having turned down the opportunity to manage the Socceroos only hours before, the Dutchman may have deemed it inappropriate to sit among the swathes of gold and green scarves.
Had he been appointed, and had he watched, Advocaat would have been encouraged, as an Australian team shorn of a number of their Premier League stars shone on a grey day in Fulham.
Nigeria, currently 19th in Fifa’s world rankings – 33 places above Australia – are in preparation mode ahead of their African Cup adventure which starts on January 20. But they never warmed to the occasion, and have much to do before their flight to Ghana. Without Premier League forwards John Utaka, Yakubu Ayebeni, Victor Anichebe and Nwankwo Kanu, Vogts’ team was always going to look toothless up front.
Australia, unable to call upon Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Manchester City target Mark Bresciano, looked bright from the off. It took only three minutes before the Australians, led in attack by Harry Kewell, created their first chance, with left-winger David Carney nodding wide right of Dele Aiyenuga’s post. The Nigerian ‘keeper was kept much warmer than his team mates.
With scant possession the Nigerians created little to bother Mark Schwarzer’s gloves in the opposing goal. Captain Obafemi Martins tried his best up front, but produced only one noteworthy effort, in the 28th minute. Winger Osaze Odemwingie crossed from the right, the ball fell to the Newcastle United forward and his shot cannoned off Danny Shittu, causing Schwarzer to tip the ball onto and over the bar.
Kewell linked well with Carney on the left and Nick Carle in midfield, but it took until seven minutes after the interval before Australia broke the deadlock. Shittu could only clear Luke Wilkshire’s cross as far Carney, 30 yards out, in the left-hand channel.
The Sheffield United midfielder steadied himself and laced his shot in the top-left hand corner, just out of reach from Aiyenuga’s groping hand. When the goal – the 23-year-old’s first for his country – was scored, the team rushed over to the bench to celebrate with caretaker manager Rob Baan, in a blatant show of solidarity.
There were a handful of other chances for Baan’s side, but the Dutchman – whose official role is technical director – was more concerned that a replacement for
Graham Arnold, sacked after July’s disappointing show in the Asian Cup, will be named soon.
As Football Federation Australia held crisis talks after Advocaat’s jilt, the prospect of a heavyweight legal battle with his Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg, loomed on the horizon. After winning the Russian league with them last weekend Advocaat surprised the FFA by signing a contract extension worth a reported $3.6m a year.
FFA believe they are in their rights to sue, as they have not interviewed any other managers for the position currently held by Baan, who has categorically dismissed his interest in the job.
With Australia starting their World Cup qualifying in two months, Baan was obviously frustrated that good friend Advocaat had spurned Australia.
He said: “We were so sure that he would come in January, because we signed him already a couple of months ago. And of course you stop looking. So now we have to look for another replacement at this time in the middle of competitions.
“If you sign a contract and you suddenly don’t accept the consequences it is very disappointing. In the meantime we have to prepare for January 6 when we play our first qualification match. We want a quality coach as I think we have a quality team. We showed that today.
“The players are all keen to know who will take over the job now. The list is not great at the moment because all the quality coaches are already signed. So you have to look at (Jürgen) Klinsmann, who is available. His is the only person on the quality level we are looking for who is available at the moment.”
Whoever takes the job will be in charge of a squad whose talent, and more importantly, spirit is evident. But, as Middlesbrough’s Schwazer said: “The sooner we get a coach installed, get a bit of stability and start playing the way he wants us to, the better it will be for everyone.”
Australia
Schwarzer; Emerton, Neill, Beauchamp, Chipperfield (Burns h/t); Wilkshire, Valeri, Carle, Carney; Kewell, McDonald
Unused substitutes: Coe, Federici, Sterjovski, Wesolowski, Kennedy and Thwaite
Nigeria
Aiyenuga; Eromoigbe, Shittu, Afolabi (Nwanerri h/t), Emeghara; Odemwingie (Ikechukwu 63), Ayinia, Okonkwo (Taiwo 68), Etuhu; Makinwa (Manaseh h/t), Martins
Unused substitutes: Obiefule, Ejide and Obi
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Dick Advocaat was not present at Craven Cottage to witness Australia’s one nil victory over Berti Vogts’ Nigeria today. He was, up until kick-off, expected to attend. But having turned down the opportunity to manage the Socceroos only hours before, the Dutchman may have deemed it inappropriate to sit among the swathes of gold and green scarves.
Had he been appointed, and had he watched, Advocaat would have been encouraged, as an Australian team shorn of a number of their Premier League stars shone on a grey day in Fulham.
Nigeria, currently 19th in Fifa’s world rankings – 33 places above Australia – are in preparation mode ahead of their African Cup adventure which starts on January 20. But they never warmed to the occasion, and have much to do before their flight to Ghana. Without Premier League forwards John Utaka, Yakubu Ayebeni, Victor Anichebe and Nwankwo Kanu, Vogts’ team was always going to look toothless up front.
Australia, unable to call upon Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Manchester City target Mark Bresciano, looked bright from the off. It took only three minutes before the Australians, led in attack by Harry Kewell, created their first chance, with left-winger David Carney nodding wide right of Dele Aiyenuga’s post. The Nigerian ‘keeper was kept much warmer than his team mates.
With scant possession the Nigerians created little to bother Mark Schwarzer’s gloves in the opposing goal. Captain Obafemi Martins tried his best up front, but produced only one noteworthy effort, in the 28th minute. Winger Osaze Odemwingie crossed from the right, the ball fell to the Newcastle United forward and his shot cannoned off Danny Shittu, causing Schwarzer to tip the ball onto and over the bar.
Kewell linked well with Carney on the left and Nick Carle in midfield, but it took until seven minutes after the interval before Australia broke the deadlock. Shittu could only clear Luke Wilkshire’s cross as far Carney, 30 yards out, in the left-hand channel.
The Sheffield United midfielder steadied himself and laced his shot in the top-left hand corner, just out of reach from Aiyenuga’s groping hand. When the goal – the 23-year-old’s first for his country – was scored, the team rushed over to the bench to celebrate with caretaker manager Rob Baan, in a blatant show of solidarity.
There were a handful of other chances for Baan’s side, but the Dutchman – whose official role is technical director – was more concerned that a replacement for
Graham Arnold, sacked after July’s disappointing show in the Asian Cup, will be named soon.
As Football Federation Australia held crisis talks after Advocaat’s jilt, the prospect of a heavyweight legal battle with his Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg, loomed on the horizon. After winning the Russian league with them last weekend Advocaat surprised the FFA by signing a contract extension worth a reported $3.6m a year.
FFA believe they are in their rights to sue, as they have not interviewed any other managers for the position currently held by Baan, who has categorically dismissed his interest in the job.
With Australia starting their World Cup qualifying in two months, Baan was obviously frustrated that good friend Advocaat had spurned Australia.
He said: “We were so sure that he would come in January, because we signed him already a couple of months ago. And of course you stop looking. So now we have to look for another replacement at this time in the middle of competitions.
“If you sign a contract and you suddenly don’t accept the consequences it is very disappointing. In the meantime we have to prepare for January 6 when we play our first qualification match. We want a quality coach as I think we have a quality team. We showed that today.
“The players are all keen to know who will take over the job now. The list is not great at the moment because all the quality coaches are already signed. So you have to look at (Jürgen) Klinsmann, who is available. His is the only person on the quality level we are looking for who is available at the moment.”
Whoever takes the job will be in charge of a squad whose talent, and more importantly, spirit is evident. But, as Middlesbrough’s Schwazer said: “The sooner we get a coach installed, get a bit of stability and start playing the way he wants us to, the better it will be for everyone.”
Australia
Schwarzer; Emerton, Neill, Beauchamp, Chipperfield (Burns h/t); Wilkshire, Valeri, Carle, Carney; Kewell, McDonald
Unused substitutes: Coe, Federici, Sterjovski, Wesolowski, Kennedy and Thwaite
Nigeria
Aiyenuga; Eromoigbe, Shittu, Afolabi (Nwanerri h/t), Emeghara; Odemwingie (Ikechukwu 63), Ayinia, Okonkwo (Taiwo 68), Etuhu; Makinwa (Manaseh h/t), Martins
Unused substitutes: Obiefule, Ejide and Obi
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Labels: Australia, Berti Vogts, Craven Cottage, Dick Advocaat, football, Fulham, Harr Kewell, Nigeria, Obafemi Martins, Premier League, Rob Baan
