Kickoff (Cape Town)
19 August 2008
Nigeria have cruised into the Final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics men's football tournament with an emphatic 4-1 semifinal victory over Belgium in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Goals from Olubayo Adefemi, Chibuzor Okonkwo and a brace from Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi set up the victory, while Laurent Ciman scored a late consolation for the Belgians.
The Dream Team IV, as they are known, dominated the match from the outset and deservedly took the lead on 18 minutes when Solomon Okoronkwo's skewed shot fell kindly for Adefemi six yards out and he coolly side-footed the ball home past Logan Bailly in the Belgian goal.
They doubled that advantage on 61 minutes with a beautifully worked goal. Substitute Victor Anichebe slipped in a neat pass behind the Belgian defence to Ogbuke Obasi, who beat the offside trap and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
And 10 minutes later, Ogbuke Obasi scored a candidate for goal of the tournament when he smashed the ball home from 28-yards, while the cherry on top came from Okonkwo, whose low drive from 30 yards had the beating of Bailly.
And it might have been more as well, were it not for two incredible misses from Anichebe and Isaac promise late on.
Belgium scored a consolation goal as Ciman netted with a powerful free-kick from 35-yards.
Nigeria will now meet either Brazil or Argentina in the Final on Saturday, as they look to emulate the original Dream team, who won Gold at the Atlanta Olympic in 1996.
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