Aghahowa celebrates his winning goal against Liberia

Group A might have gone by the form book with Nigeria top of the pile, but it was not the Super Eagles that produced the vibrant, flowing football.
That belonged to Mali who also produced one of the stars of the first round in Seydou Keita.

However, lets start with one of the teams going home. Luck didn't run the way of Liberia, and you do need luck in football. They had chances in all three of their games and had solved their pre-tournament money rows in the dressing room before opening the tournament against Mali.

With money less of an issue (because it is always there), it was only a very late Seydou Keita equalizer that prevented George Weah's
first -half goal giving them a winning start. In the next game Algeria left it even later to snatch a 2-2 draw as they twice came from behind, gaining parity for the last time in injury-time.

In their final game against a Nigerian team they believed lacked mobility, Finidi George missed a first half penalty and through the game the Lone Star had three chances they failed to put away. With a striker like Julius Aghahowa around that will always cost you and they wend down by that solitary goal.

It was Aghahowa who 'd set the Super Eagles on their way with a first-half goal against Algeria. There was little in that game for the Nigerians and their Supporters Club fans to cheer. Algeria fashioned several openings and although the Eagles and their handlers pronounced themselves satisfied it was pragmatic rather than romantic football. It was a performance for the group stages of a tournament

The atmosphere when Nigeria took on Mali. The hosts, willed on by 60,000 delirious fans, were simply electric. They nearly won the game as well, and it was only poor finishing and resolute defending that kept the hosts at bay. Ike Shorunmu had an immense game in the Nigerian goal and was matched in heroic deeds by the rest of defence. Once again the Eagles pronounced themselves satisfied with the job, just as they did with the 1-0 victory in Mopti over Liberia.

All that had gone wrong came right in the last game for Mali when they tore into a neat and precise Algerian side. Two goals in the opening 25 minutes were just part of what was one way traffic. The Eagles' passing and movement simply too good for the North Africans who were further troubled when they lost their captain Tasfaout in an accident before half-time. The game, though, was already lost and the Malian parties beginning.