Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has explained the defensive breakdown that led to Egyptian winger Emma Ashour's opening goal in Egypt's FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Australia.
The Pharaohs were held to a 1-1 draw after both regular and extra time before prevailing 4-2 in the penalty shootout to secure their place in the Round of 16.
Ashour gave the North Africans the lead in the 13th minute, timing his run to perfection to meet a dangerous cross from Karim Hafez. Left completely unmarked inside the penalty area, the winger calmly steered his close-range effort into the bottom corner.
Speaking as a pundit on SuperSport during the half-time analysis, Iwobi pointed to Australia's failure to deal with the "second phase" of the attack, explaining that the defence lost its shape after successfully clearing the initial danger.
“The second phase is a bit difficult to defend. The first thing is knowing where you should be, who you are marking, and staying well organised,” Iwobi said.
The Fulham midfielder noted that defenders often become too focused on the ball once the initial attack has been repelled, allowing attackers to exploit the spaces that open up.
“Once the ball shifts to the second phase and comes back in, a lot of the time players get attracted to the ball and forget how quickly things can change around them. It's a great position that Ashour picked up,” he concluded.
With the victory, Egypt progressed to the Round of 16, where they will face the winners of the Round of 32 tie between Argentina and Cape Verde.
Adeyemi Adewale
Photo credit: efa.com.eg
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