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Mexico national football team
International Friendlies
Mar 6, 2014 at 1.30am UK
 
Nigeria national football team

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Live Commentary: Mexico 0-0 Nigeria - as it happened

Relive with Sports Mole all the action from the international friendly clash between Mexico and Nigeria.
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Mexico and Nigeria met in their international friendly clash on Wednesday in the Georgia Dome.

Both sides were in good form going into the game, and were looking to put out a statement performance ahead of the World Cup later this year.

However, despite sharing a plethora of chances each, neither side could find a breakthrough in the match as it ended goalless.

Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.


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Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the international friendly clash between Mexico and Nigeria.

Mexico come into this fixture off a run of good form as they beat New Zealand in their World Cup qualifying playoff clash to reach the finals in Brazil. Miguel Herrera's side have won three out of their last four games, with their last defeat coming in October to Costa Rica.

Stephen Keshi's side are just a month removed from their success in the African Nations Championship, where they finished third in the tournament with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe, with a relatively young side. Their last defeat in regulation came in that competition against Mali, which is over six games ago. So there is plenty to be confident about for Nigeria coming into this fixture.

The team news has been announced and we'll start with the home side.

MEXICO STARTING XI: Ochoa, Marquez, Guardado, Aguilar, Moreno, Reyes, Montes, Medina, Herrera, Peralta, Hernandez.

MEXICO SUBS: Pulido, Pena, Perez, Brizuela, Aquino, Corona, Valenzuela, Vazquez, Munoz, Ponce.

NIGERIA STARTING XI: Enyeama, Echiejile, Ambrose, Omeruo, Oboabona, Mikel, Moses, Onazi, Emenike, Uchebo, Musa.

NIGERIA SUBS: Egwuekwe, Ejide, Shehu, Dike, Uzoenyi, Ezekiel, Oshaniwa, Yobo, Kunle, Azeez, Ameobi, Obinna

A lot of familiar faces on show this morning. On the Mexican side, former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez along with Espanyol's Hector Moreno anchor the defence. Manchester United's Javier Hernandez starts in attack paired with Oscar Peralta, whose goals helped fire Herrera's side to the World Cup finals.

Nigeria's big guns return for this friendly game after missing the African Nations Championship. Chelsea's John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses headline the strong midfield sent out by Keshi, who are led in attack by CSKA Moscow's Ahmed Musa. Newcastle United's Shola Ameobi features on the bench along with Norwich City's Joseph Yobo. There's also a place for former West Ham United striker Victor Obinna and one of the stars of the CHAN competition Ejike Uzoenyi.

The players are making their way out onto the pitch, so we should be underway shortly at the Georgia Dome.

The national anthems are currently taking place. This is taking slightly longer than anticipated, but we should be underway in the next couple of minutes.

KICKOFF! We're underway in this international friendly game.

Quick tempo to start the game as Mexico earn quick possession and try to play the ball down the left. Montes tries to whip a cross into the box, but Ambrose comes across to win the ball. Enyeama then clears downfield and Musa picks up a knock trying to bring the ball under control.

Nigeria win a corner down the right after good work by Moses. He takes the corner himself and his first effort at a cross is poor, but he gets the ball back and his second attempt is better, however, Moreno does well to hack it clear.

Miguel Herrera's side hit back upfield as Herrera wins the ball in the final third of the pitch. He looks to thread a through ball into the path of Hernandez on the edge of the area, and the striker tries to turn to get an effort away, but Oboabona is there to make the tackle.

CHANCE! Musa has the first real effort at goal as a throw-in comes in from the left from Echiejile. The striker plays a one-two with Uchebo and drills a shot at goal, but his effort goes just wide of the target.

SAVE! Ochoa keeps the scores level as Emenike gets the ball after Marquez gave it away in the midfield. He sped past the challenge of the defender and raided into the box, he fired a shot at goal from close range, but the keeper was on hand to beat the ball away.

SAVE! Ochoa makes another great save for Mexico. This time he beats the ball away as Onazi drills the ball at goal from distance, but the keeper dove to his left to palm the shot away following Moses's corner from the right.

Ochoa is down for Herrera's side as he attempted to gather the ball at the feet of Musa, after the striker was played in behind the defence. It appears he got a knee to the head as he went for the ball, but he will continue after treatment.

CHANCE! Aguila tries to raid forward for Mexico, but Moses steals ball from him with an excellent tackle. The winger then speeds up the middle of the pitch before striking the ball from the edge of the area, but his effort goes just past the post. Ochoa was beaten on that occasion, but Moses's effort was not on target, a great run though.

Mexico are desperately trying to take the pace out of the game, as they are trying to keep possession with a slow passing game. Peralta wins a free kick about 25 yards from goal, and they will have a chance to threaten from this set piece.

Marquez takes the free kick and instead of shooting he tries to slip in a pass behind for Guardado, but Onazi reads the ball all the way and makes the interception. The winger then clears the ball downfield in another odd decision, as he had plenty of space in front of him to attack.

CHANCE! Mexico work their first real opportunity of the game as Aguilar feeds Herrera on the edge of the area. The midfielder takes a touch onto his left foot and drills an effort at goal, but his shot goes just over the bar of Enyeama. The keeper probably had that covered, but it was a good strike from Herrera.

CHANCE! Marquez comes so close to handing his side the lead as he meets a corner from the right from Medina, and he heads the ball down towards the corner but Enyeama makes an excellent save to keep the ball out. Ambrose then manages to beat Hernandez to the follow up as he tried to turn and shoot, and he cleared the danger downdfield. An excellent chance for Mexico.

Mexico are slowly creeping into this game despite their early errors. Their passing game is slowly clicking into rhythm and they are finding space pushing forward. However, Nigeria are always a threat on the counter with their pace on the flanks so they still have to be cautious.

CHANCE! Peralta comes within inches of finding the net with a superb volley as Mexico threaten again. A long ball was pumped forward by Guardado and the forward won the aerial dual with Omeruo and the ball fell kindly into his path from the knockdown. He shot first time on the volley, but his effort went just past the post.

Nigeria break forward in numbers and Moses runs down the middle. He has options to the left and the right but decides to go on his own, the winger tries a few tricks to beat the Mexican defenders, but he tries one too many and loses the ball.

CHANCE! Mexico work a corner down the left as Medina plays the ball short to Guardado and he gets it back immediately. The midfielder hits a low cross into the area and travels all the way to Marquez, who shoots with his left foot, but his effort is well blocked and cleared.

Herrera does well down the right and finds enough space to carve out a cross. His cross is deep to the back post looking for the run of Hernandez, but Enyeama manages to cut out the ball before it can reach the striker. A crucial intervention by the keeper.

End to end football at the moment. First Moses raids down the left for Nigeria and hits a ball across the face of goal but no player in white is there to turn the ball in. Mexico then break themselves in a three-on-three situation, but Herrera choses the wrong option and Peralta is flagged offside.

The pace of the game appears to be taking its toll on some of the players as they are hitting the deck. After some treatment Onazi is cleared to continue. It has been a frenetic opening 40 minutes at the Georgia Dome.

Nigeria are lacking some sharpness they had in the final third, they were showing earlier in the game. Musa wastes a good opportunity to find Emenike in space on the edge of the box as he misplaces his pass and Guardado nips in to win the ball.

The tempo has dropped significantly as we approach the break. Nigeria seem to be suffering more than Mexico at the moment, and seem to be playing for the whistle.

There will be two minutes of added time.

Mexico have one last dart before the break and Peralta gets the ball with his back to goal. He manages to turn his man and shoots at goal, but his effort goes just past the post. That was never really threatening Enyeama's goal.

Musa does well down the left for Nigeria and he manages to win a corner of Moreno. The delivery from Moses isn't quite what Keshi's side were hoping for as he gets two attempts from either side and Mexico manage to clear the danger.

HALF-TIME: Mexico 0-0 Nigeria

An action-packed first half in the Georgia Dome. Nigeria came out the blocks fast and threatened with two great chances but Ochoa was in fine form to deny Emenike and Onzazi. From 20 minutes onwards it was all Mexico and it was Enyeama who needed to be at his best to deny Marquez, while Peralta and Herrera had shots that went wide of the target.

Both managers will be pleased with that they have seen from their sides, but will want better execution especially in the final third of the pitch. As far as gameplans go, both teams are playing as expected, but they need to find that clinical edge going forward, then I'm sure we'll see some goals this morning.

The players are making their way back out onto the pitch and we should be back underway shortly.

We're back underway in this friendly game.

SAVE! Ejide makes an early save for Nigeria after replacing Enyeama at the break. A corner came in from the right from Medina and was deflected into the path of Peralta, who got a shot away but it lacked power and was claimed with ease by the keeper.

Mikel wins the ball in midfield and finds Emenike in the box. The forward lifts a cross to the back post for Musa, who takes the ball down and shoots from the edge of the area, but his effort is tame and goes wide.

Nigeria are pressing the ball well in the early stages of the second half. Moses wins the ball and drives down the right and he tries to find Emenike in the box, but is forced to go backwards and the move loses all momentum. The ball eventually goes all the way back to Ejide.

CHANCE! Mikel threads a through ball for the run of Musa down the left. The striker takes a touch into the box and shoots from a tight angle, but Ochoa comes out to narrow the angle and make the stop with his feet. Another great save by the keeper.

CHANCE! Mexico respond to the threat from Nigeria with an effort of their own as Pulido gets the ball on the edge of the area. The striker shoots at goal but his shot is turned away by a good save from Ejide.

A couple of tired legs out there and the performance is beginning to show as Moses especially does not look comfortable. The tempo of the game has dropped since the early stages and the game is suffering slightly as a result.

Mexico win a free kick deep down the left and Pena lifts a cross into the area looking for the run of Moreno at the back post, but the defender just can't make contact and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

CHANCE! Moses does well down the left as he speeds past a couple of challenges. He looks up into the box and slides a pass to Azeez, who has space and time in the box, but he shoots first time and his effort goes well over the bar. That was a real chance for Nigeria.

CHANCE! An opportunity at the other end as Moreno whips a cross into the box looking for Jimenez. Ejide manages to punch the ball clear but only as far as Pulido, who shoots first time, but the keeper springs to his feet and manages to make the reaction save to deny the striker.

CHANCE! Mexico are really starting to up the ante and Pena sends Guardado down the flank. The left back lifts a cross into the area looking for the run of Jimenez. The cross is good and the striker makes contact with a header, but his attempt goes just wide of the target, under pressure from Omeruo.

Nigeria are struggling for possession at the moment, and seem to have lost their only attacking outlet now Moses has gone off. Mexico are doing a good job of keeping them under pressure and look the team most likely to score going into the final 15 minutes of the game.

Ezekiel slides a through ball for the run of Azeez who is forced wide as Ochoa comes out to narrow the angle. The striker opts not to shoot and keeps the ball and tries to find Emenike at the back post, but his cross is poor and the keeper gathers with ease.

SHOT! Obinna finds space on the edge of the area and he tries to take Ochoa by surprise by shooting from distance, but his shot goes just over the bar with the keeper scrambling back towards his net.

CHANCE! Pulido makes an excellent run behind the Nigeria defence. He takes a touch into the box to and shoots at goal from an angle from the right, but Ejike is there to beat the ball away and Omeruo clears the danger in the middle.

Mexico raid down the right and Aquino finds space to dig out and cross. His cross goes all the way to the back post where it finds the head of Jimenez, but the forward's effort goes into the side-netting.

The game is slowly petering to an end here, as both sides look out of ideas and are starting to tire despite the numerous substitutions made.

SHOT! Ezekiel raids down the right for Nigeria and speeds all the way into the box past a couple of tackles. He doesn't have many options, so he tries a left-footed effort at goal, which is tame and well saved by Ochoa low to his left.

There will be four minutes of added time.

Nigeria win a free kick around 30 yards from goal and Obinna stands over the ball, with a late chance to win the game if they get this right.

Obinna takes a long run up and strikes the ball, but his effort goes well wide of the target and it looks as though that will be it.

FULL-TIME: Mexico 0-0 Nigeria

The game ends goalless as neither team can find a breakthrough in the Georgia Dome. The chances were spread pretty evenly and both teams will regret their lack of potency in the final third of the pitch. Nigeria had the better of them in the second half as Musa and Azeez should have done a lot better with their opportunities, but a draw is the fair result.

Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. Until next time, goodbye.

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