There was no fairytale start for Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi as Botswana defended heroically to force a 0-0 friendly draw in Benin City, Nigeria, on Saturday.
Keshi, captain of the national team in 1994 when they last won the Africa Cup of Nations and played at the World Cup for the first time, took over this month from sacked Samson Siasia.
The change was triggered by the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for January’s Africa Cup of Nations and most Nigerian soccer followers were hopeful of a winning start for Keshi, but Botswana displayed the grit that won them a Cup of Nations place for the first time by repulsing attack after attack, with Nigeria creating five clear-cut first-half chances.
Teenage goalkeeper Kabelo Adam, deputizing for unavailable captain Modiri Marumo, produced a point-blank save on the half-hour mark after Ikechukwu Uche had been set up by older brother Kalu.
Joel Obi went close with a header soon after and a frenzied period of assaults on the Botswana goal ended with Adam making another fine save to deny Fengor Ogude.
The Zebras, who topped a Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group that included Tunisia, Malawi, Togo and Chad, almost snatched a late first-half lead as leading scorer and African Footballer of the Year nominee Jerome Ramatlhakwane headed against the crossbar.
Nigeria also dominated the second half, only to be thwarted by the visitors, whose attacks were confined to a few breakaways that did not seriously trouble goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
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