- Nigeria won their first match of Russia 2018, defeating tournament newcomers
- Ahmed Musa scored both goals for the Super Eagles
Nigeria got their first win of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia by beating tournament debutants Iceland 2-0 in Volgograd. The result means the race for second place in Group D will go down to the last game on 26 June. Ultimately, three teams will compete for a spot in the Round of 16 on the final day, with the Super Eagles still able to top the pool ahead of already-qualified Croatia.
The hero of the match was undoubtedly Ahmed Musa, who came alive in the second half and played superbly, scoring both Nigerian goals. His first finish in particular will surely live long in the memory as one of the goals of the tournament: he controlled Victor Moses’ cross with one touch, setting himself up for an unstoppable half-volley with his second. Both Musa’s strikes were warmly received by the crowd at the Volgograd Arena, many of whom are familiar with the striker from his spells at CSKA Moscow.
Interestingly, while the Super Eagles took control in the second half, in the first they failed to register a single shot on target on Hannes Halldorsson’s goal. The Icelanders came close to narrowing the deficit towards the end of the match, but their main star Gylfi Sigurdsson spurned a glorious chance from the penalty spot.
