Nigeria deny Honduras historic bronze

By : AFP

Date: 20 August 2016 6:00pm WAT

PHOTO: GUSTAVO ANDRADE / AFP

Nigeria's John Obi Mikel (R) controls the ball during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men's bronze medal football match against Honduras at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on August 20, 2016. GUSTAVO ANDRADE / AFP — Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel (R) controls the ball during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men’s bronze medal football match against Honduras at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on August 20, 2016.
GUSTAVO ANDRADE / AFP

Nigeria claimed men’s football bronze at the Rio Olympics with an entertaining 3-2 win over Honduras in Belo Horizonte on Saturday to deny the Central Americans their first ever Olympic medal.

Two goals from Roma striker Sadiq Umar and namesake Aminu Umar’s fine finish early in the second-half put Nigeria 3-0 up.

Honduras battled until the end, though, as Anthony Lozano and Marcelo Pereira headed home in the final 20 minutes to set up a nervy finish for the 1996 gold medal winners.

Hosts Brazil are aiming for their first ever football gold medal in one of the most anticipated events of the Games against world champions Germany at Rio’s Maracana with kick-off at 1730 local time (2030GMT).