By Eniola Olatunji
…Cover photo: Croatian players celebrate their Goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic.
Croatian Goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic became the hero in the first match to run into penalty shootout at the Qatar 2022 world cup with a superlative save of three penalty kicks from the computerized Japanese High Tech team as he single handedly ‘bobo’ (a word for strapping your child on your back in Nigeria) Croatia into the quarterfinals.
Incidentally that was how Croatia crossed into the quarters at the last world cup in 2018. The Japanese looked as if they did not do the practical on the field; they just sat by the computer in the coach’s room and played the match on his laptop beamed on a board.
For the records: Takumi Minamino and Kaoro Mitoma played straight into the Croatian goalkeeper before Takuma Asano scored his and Maya Yashida branched off with a lost kick.
The Croatians captained by Luka Modric the man who learnt endurance at a military camp, showed the trained on penalty shootouts. Only Marko Livaja lost his kick as Nikolas Vlasic, Marcelo Brozovic and Mario Pesalic neatly tucked in their kicks.
Forty year old American referee, Gentle man Ismail ElFath ensured no smart play in the shootouts. Ismail is the Ref that gave regard to Vincent Aboubakar during the Cameroon versus Brazil match when the Indomitable Lions emerged the first African country to have beaten the almighty Samba Boys, five times world champions in the world cup proper. Aboubakar over celebrated, threw his jersey on the turf and went jumping for joy all over; Ismail called him with his whistle, shook hands with the bald headed Cameroonian grinning like a school boy and flashed him a red card according to the rules of the game because Aboubakar was already on a yellow card.
Both teams played 1-1 after extra time. Daizen Meda shot Japan into the lead at 44th minute from a Maya Yashida connect before Ivan Perisic equalized at 55th minute.
High Tech Japanese team shocked the world with a magnificent dismantle of the German machine in the group E opening match by alone goal; lost to Costa Rica 0-1 and defeated mighty Spanish team 2-1. The effort made Japan top the group with 6 points with +1 goals difference while Spain became their runners-up chalking 4 points and 6 goals difference.
The Croatians played goalless with Atlas Lions of Morocco; played goalless with Belgium and defeated Canada 4-1. Morocco topped group F having 7 points and 3 goals difference and Croatia became runners up with 5 points and +3 goals difference.
Both teams met three times, winning one match each and drawing one. On 12th August 1995 at Kirin Japan cup Japan won 4-3; 10th August 1997 at the world cup Croatia won by a lone goal and on 28th March 1999 both teams played goalless.
Croatia now stands bye to meet the winner of the Brazil versus the Asian Tigers, South Korea scheduled for Monday night.
On Tuesday, Portugal will slug it out with Men of the Red Crosses, Switzerland at 4pm before the last of the African Team standing; The Atlas Lions of Morocco meet Spain at 8pm.
Eniola Olatunji reporting.
#FifaworldcupQatar2022.
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
