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UEL: Ibrahim Akanbi’s goal progress Sheriff with arresting performance
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Sheriff Tiraspol will play the UEFA Europa League in the New Year after defeating Omonia Nicosia with Rasheed Ibrahim Akanbi’s last gasp 88th-minute winner.
The victory also maintains Victor Mihailov’s unbeaten start as caretaker manager with three wins in three games.
Two wasted chances in the opening 12 minutes of the game showed that the visitors (Omonia Nicosia) were up for a fight.
The away side continued to push deep into the second half, though as time away, so too did the probability of them achieving the required number of goals to remain in continental football.
Roman Bezus should have been on the score sheet twice, but he too was infected by the lack of ruthlessness earlier shown by his teammates.
His first attempt was blocked from a right angle inside the box by Gaby Kiki, and his second was a committee diving header that cannoned back off the crossbar.
With 14 attempts on goals and four on target, it simply wasn’t good enough, and Yannick Ferrera’s were ultimately punished in the closing stages by Akanbi.
The striker showed great composure to fire into the top left corner inside the box after the visitors gave the ball away in their half, ensuring UEFA Europa Conference League knockout football.
The only headache for Mihailov is that he will be without his match winner, Rasheed Ibrahim Akanbi in the next round, as he picked up a booking in the second half.
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