Nigeria keep their FIFA World Cup 2018 hope alive with 2-0 win over Iceland - As it happened

Ahmed Musa grabbed his first goal with a brilliant finish off Moses’ cross and beat the goalkeeper to score his second. Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Iceland leaves Group D wide open.

Pic courtesy: IANS

While Croatia have sealed their spot in the round of 16, Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Iceland leaves Group D wide open. Argentina, Nigeria, Iceland can still qualify for the knockout stages. Ahmed Musa grabbed his first goal with a brilliant finish off Moses’ cross and beat the goalkeeper to score his second. The Video Assistant Referee system (VAR) awarded Iceland with a penalty in the 80th minute but Gylfi Sigurdsson clouded the ball away from the goal.

Follow the match updates here:

Nigeria 2-0 Iceland!

FULL TIME!!

90+3 minute:  Victor Moses is threatening from the right flank. Can he score Nigeria's third goal? 

6 minutes of Stoppage time!

89 minute: Substitution for Nigeria. Etebo is replaced by Iwobi. 

89 minute: Free-kick to Iceland. The ball is headed away from the crossbar. 

87 minute: Substitution for Iceland! Skúlason replaces Gunnarsson. 

That was the 12th penalty of this World cup and the sixth penalty awarded by VAR. 

5 minutes to go!

80 minute: PENALTY! The referee calls for VAR and awards Iceland with an opportunity to equalise. MISS! Gylfi  Sigurdsson clouds the ball away from the goal. Sigurdsson wastes a golden opportunity. 

If Musa manages to score another goal, he will become the first Nigerian to score a Hattrick in a World Cup match. 

Nigeria 2-0 Iceland!

75 minute: GOAL!!!  Ahmed Musa scores his second goal. Musa rattles the Iceland defence and beats the goalkeeper.  

74 minute:  What an effort! Musa tries to curl in another goal but the ball hits the crossbar.  

69 minute: Corner for Nigeria. The Nigerians have looked more confident and are passing really well in the second-half. Iceland, on the other hand, will not go down without a fight. What a match this is turning out to be.  

64 minute: Substitution for Iceland. Ingi Ingason in for Ragnar Sigurdsson. 

61 minute: Free-kick to Iceland. That could be dangerous. Gylfi Sigurdsson chips the ball directly into the hands of the Nigerian goalkeeper. 

59 minute: Iceland are pushing hard to score an equaliser but Nigeria are threatening up-front with the counter. 

58 minute: Corner for Iceland! The Nigerian defenders manage to clear the ball.

57 minute: Wilfred Ndidi attempts a shot on the Iceland target but the goalkeeper makes a brilliant save as he whips it away. That was close!

Interestingly, Ahmed Musa is the first Nigerian to score at two different world cups. He had scored twice against Argentina in the 2014 World cup. 

50 minute:  Ragnar Sigurdsson does not look comfortable. He gets up with a bandage around his head. Sigurdsson had collided with Musa following the goal. 

Nigeria 1-0 Iceland!

49 minute: GOAL!!! Ahmed Musa scores a stunner, what a brilliant first touch by Musa to set up the goal. 

46 minute: Substitution for Nigeria. Ebuehi in for  Idowu. 

Second-half is underway!

Nigeria 0-0 Iceland!

Half-time!

45+1 minute: Iceland are up and attacking but are giving the possession away in the final third. Both teams look for inspiration up front. 

2 minutes of Stoppage time!

44 minute: Yellow card! Nigeria's Idowu gets the first yellow card of the match for a bad challenge. 

42 minute: Second corner for Nigeria. Poor delivery from the Nigerian as the ball goes for a goal-kick. 

Possession 

Nigeria- 64 percent

Iceland- 34 percent

37 minute: Iceland are pressing hard but Nigerian defenders are on their toes and attack on the counter. 

35 minute: Series of attacks by Iceland but they are giving away possession up-front. 

33 minute: That was close! Iceland finds a touch inside the Nigerian penalty box but clouds it into the crowd. 

30 minute:  Free-kick to Nigeria. Oghenekaro Etebo shoots a long ball, but fails to find a teammate. 

28 minute: Iceland players seem tired, is the weather playing a role here? 

23 minute: Free-kick to Iceland as Nigeria's Kenneth Omeruo concedes a foul. Iceland need to improve their finishing off the set-pieces. 

21 minute: The Nigerian goalkeeper knuckles the ball away. Another corner for Iceland. 

19 minute: Iceland try and create space in the final third but the defender clear the ball. Corner for Iceland. 

Possession 

Nigeria-  59 percent

Iceland- 41 percent

15 minute: Nigeria on the attack but Iceland hold on. Throw-in for Nigeria near the box. 

11 minute: Both teams are trying to settle in, bringing the tempo of the game down. 

6 minute: Gylfi Sigurdsson attempts a shot on target but goalkeeper Francis Uzoho saves it. The goalkeeper has been busy in the early minutes of the match. 

3 minute: Free-kick to Iceland at a promising position. SAVED! Nigerian goalkeeper clears the ball away. Corner to Iceland. 

Kick-off

Complete the caption:

I think ___________ will win!#NGAISL pic.twitter.com/2JcZeqN7Gg — FIFA World Cup  (@FIFAWorldCup) June 22, 2018

Lineups:

Iceland XI: Hannes Thor Halldorsson; Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Kari Arnason, Birkir Mar Saevarsson; Birkir Bjarnason, Aron Gunnarsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Rurik Gislason; Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Alfred Finnbogason.

Nigeria XI: Francis Uzoho; Kenneth Omeruo, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun; Brian Idowu, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Moses; Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho.

A gritty Iceland had held Argentina to a 1-1 draw in their opener and a win against Nigeria will give them a foothold in the knockout stages. Nigeria will be knocked out if they lose against Iceland as their first match against Croatia had ended in a 0-2 defeat for them.

The team from Africa has the flair and skill but against an organised and confident Iceland, the Nigerians will need much more than that as Argentina, who are staring at elimination, found out the hard way. Nigeria's team is the youngest in the FIFA World Cup 2018 and the players will have to rise to the occasion to have any hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

The two teams have played each other only once in 1981 where Iceland came out on top with an impressive margin of 3-0. However, Nigeria have won five games in the previous FIFA World Cups and all of them have been against European teams.

Full squad:

Iceland: Goalkeepers - Hannes Þór Halldórsson, Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson, Frederik Schram. Defenders - Kári Árnason, Ari Freyr Skúlason, Ragnar Sigurðsson, Hörður Björgvin Magnússon, Birkir Már Sævarsson, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson. Midfielders - Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson, Birkir Bjarnason, Arnór Ingvi Traustason, Emil Hallfreðsson, Gylfi Sigurðsson, Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Rúrik Gíslason, Samúel Kári Friðjónsson, Aron Einar Gunnarsson. Forwards - Alfreð Finnbogason, Jón Daði Böðvarsson, Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson, Albert Guðmundsson

Nigeria: Goalkeepers - Daniel Akpeyi, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Francis Uzoho. Defenders - Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Tyronne Ebuehi, Elderson Echiejile, Bryan Idowu, Kenneth Omeruo, Abdullahi Shehu, William Troost-Ekong. Midfielders - Oghenekaro Etebo, Victor Moses, Wilfred Ndidi, Joel Obi, Mikel John Obi, John Ogu, Ogenyi Onazi. Forwards - Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa, Simeon Nwankwo