FIFA - On what turned out to be one of the longest days in the history of the competition, dramatic storms washed out the Group D match between Turkey and Costa Rica in Enugu and forced delays in the Iran-Colombia and New Zealand-Burkina Faso games.
The only sides to escape the rain were Netherlands and Gambia, with the Dutch earning a much-needed 2-1 win in steamy Calabar to move back into contention in Group C, thanks in no small part to the goalless stalemate between the Iranians and Los Cafeteros, the first of the tournament. The Kiwis and the Stallions shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw to leave Group D wide open, although the Turks can clinch a place in the next round if they win their rearranged game against Los Ticos.
Results
Netherlands 2-1
Gambia
Iran 0-0 Colombia
New Zealand 1-1 Burkina Faso
The match between
Turkey and Costa Rica was suspended and will be replayed on Thursday 29 October
Click on the links in the right-hand column for full reports of the day's matches.
Goal of the
day
Netherlands-Gambia, Tom Boere 70'
After avoiding
the rain and seeing his side get off the mark in the competition,
Oranje coach Albert Stuivenberg will no doubt rest easy tonight. The
Dutch tactician also played a decisive part in Netherlands' winner, bringing on
Ouasim Bouy and Tom Boere in the second half, with the former supplying a
pinpoint cross for the latter to head home.
Memorable moments
Lights, camera,
action
Judging by the on-pitch celebrations that greeted Luc
Castaignos' opening goal against Gambia, the Netherlands' promising collection
of talented youngsters clearly believe they are cut out for careers in the
spotlight. No sooner had the top scorer at the UEFA U-17 European Championship
put the ball past Ousman Darboe in the Gambian goal than one of his media-savvy
team-mates pretended to interview him while another whipped out an imaginary
camera.
Singing in the rain
Events in Enugu this
afternoon proved beyond all doubt that the people of Nigeria truly love their
football. Oblivious to the inclement conditions and the temporary suspension of
the New Zealand-Burkina Faso match, the fans at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium kept
on dancing and singing for the best part of two hours until the players
returned.
Juggles and puddles
In keeping with the
watery theme of the day, the rain also made an appearance in Calabar, falling
with impressive force at the end of the first half of Colombia's meeting with
Iran. As the fans huddled under the roofed area of the stadium, an intrepid ball
juggler made his way out to the centre of the pitch to keep the crowd
entertained with his slippery footwork. And when his impromptu show was over,
the gifted entertainer received the biggest ovation of the night for his
efforts.
Turkish bath
Following several interruptions
caused by the teeming rain and waterlogged pitch, the competition organisers had
no option but to suspend the match between Turkey and Costa Rica after 21
minutes. The two sides will return tomorrow at 15:00 hours (local time) to
replay the game in its entirety.
The stat
2 - The number of games that
New Zealand have now gone without defeat at Nigeria 2009, a first for the Kiwis
in a FIFA competition.
Fixtures - Thursday 29 October
USA -
Malawi
United Arab Emirates - Spain
Italy - Korea Republic
Uruguay -
Algeria
Turkey-Costa Rica