Shola Ameobi made his long-awaited Nigeria debut against Venezuela in Miami last night, and the Newcastle striker didn’t disappoint – bagging an assist late on. Shola started on the bench for the Super Eagles, with coach Stephen Keshi opting for a trio of Ideye Brown, Obafemi Martins & Ogenyi Onazi to lead the line. 60 minutes in, Ameobi entered the fore replacing former Newcastle teammate Obafemit Martins. He was involved instantly, heading straight at the goalkeeper from a corner. Shola’s hold-up play was ambitions and he was a real physical threat for the Super Eagles up-front. He also showed a number of neat touches and was spotted discussing tactics with Keshi during a break in play. In the 75th minute, frustrated Venezuela defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo was involved in a minor altercation. He clearly wasn’t happy with Shola’s rough and tough approach.As the game drew to a close, Shola continued to show his hold-up qualities and was the main target of Nigeria’s attacks. Midway through the five minutes of added time, the ball was played to Shola in the middle of the box, he held it up and was taken to the left side of the box. The 31-year old turned back and played a pinpoint pass for Onazi inside the box. The Lazio striker took one touch and rifled the ball home to make it 3-1. Shola’s job was done. On this first showing, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him become a Nigeria regular – and maybe even go to the African Cup of Nations. Time will tell. To check back on our live Twitter updates on Shola’s debut – click @nufcfans, or check the hasthtag #SholaWatch. Well done Shola!
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