World Cup History: Italy – Nigeria USA 1994

World Cup History: the 1994 USA World Cup has been one of the most suffered edition of the football tournament for Italy and Italians. The team coached by Arrigo Sacchi alternated great victories to bad performances.

Despiting the final result (Italy lost versus Brasil at the penalties in the final) the italians, and not only them, will always remember the great emotions of the games won at the last second, the great goals of Roberto Baggio and, unfortunately, the last penalty missed by the same Baggio.

Italy-Nigeria 2-1: on July, 5th 1994 Italy and Nigeria met in Foxboro Stadium (Boston) to play the Round of 16 of the USA World Cup. Nigeria won the Group D, together with Bulgaria, eliminating the Argentina of Maradona. The opponent, Italy, finished the Group matches at the second place, where all the four teams had 4 point, and the scores made the difference.

It seems that Italy can play better than it did in the Group matches, but the start versus Nigeria is the same as before: after only 25 minutes Emmanuel Amunike scores for Nigeria. This goal is a terrible error of Italian defenders.

The public has to wait 50 minutes for the second emotion: at the 75th minute Gianfranco Zola, who substitutes Giuseppe Signori, has been sent off. A strange decision of the referee and the end of the hope for most of the italians.

However, when the fate of the Italian team seems decided, at the minute 88 Roberto Baggio scores one of the most memorables goals of his career. Supporters are in delirium: Italy received another chance. The match goes to the extra-time.

After 10 minutes of the extra time, something incredible happened: penalty for Italy. Again Baggio is the one who has to score. The result is well-known: Baggio saved this match and gave a new hope to the supporters. Here is the video of the highlights with the italian (historical) commentator Bruno Pizzul.

Italy – Nigeria line-up:
Italy: Luca MARCHEGIANI, Antonio BENARRIVO, Alessandro COSTACURTA, Paolo MALDINI, Roberto MUSSI, Roberto BAGGIO, Demetrio ALBERTINI, Nicola BERTI (45′), Roberto DONADONI, Daniele MASSARO,Giuseppe SIGNORI (65′). Bench: Gianluca PAGLIUCA, Luca BUCCI, Luigi APOLLONI, Franco BARESI, Lorenzo MINOTTI, Mauro TASSOTTI, Dino BAGGIO (45′), Antonio CONTE, Alberigo EVANI,Pierluigi CASIRAGHI, Gianfranco ZOLA (65′). Coach: Arrigo SACCHI.
Nigeria: Peter RUFAI, Augustine EGUAVOEN, Uche OKECHUKWU, Chidi NWANU, Finidi GEORGE, Rasheed YEKINI, Jay Jay OKOCHA, Emmanuel AMUNIKE (57′), Daniel AMOKACHI (35′), Sunday OLISEH, Michael EMENALO. Bench: Alloy AGU, Wilfred AGBONAVBARE, Ben IROHA, Stephen KESHI, Thompson OLIHA (57′), Samson SIASIA, Emeka EZEOGU, Victor IKPEBA, Efan EKOKU, Uche OKAFOR, Mutiu ADEPOJU (35′). Coach: Clemens WESTERHOF.

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