“We tried to hold him down” – Mirandes’ boss laments inability to keep Super Eagles striker caged

The Spanish manager was looking to record his first win in charge of the league strugglers but met an unstoppable force in Sadiq

Mirandes manager Joseba Etxeberria is disappointed that his charges could not stop Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq from causing damage during his side’s 2-1 loss to Almeria on Sunday night.

The 44-year-old former Spanish international, appointed to his role only last week, was looking to snap an unlikely win away to the promotion-chasing Almeria.

And ahead of the game week 28 clash, Etxeberria had identified Sadiq as Almeria’s most dangerous star, promising to put a mechanism in place to check his attacking forays.

Sadiq, though, did not get the memo as the Super Eagles forward scored twice in the space of three second-half minutes to lead Almeria to their third consecutive league win since his return from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Sergio Camello got a consolation goal for the Reds in the 99th minute after Inigo Vincente had failed to convert a late penalty.

But manager Etxeberria remained convinced that the game was in the balance until difference-maker Sadiq tipped it in Almeria’s favour.

“We tried to hold him (Sadiq) down, but he scored a great goal at 1-0,” the Spaniard said of the Nigerian goal-king, as per Burgos Conecta. 

“And the pity was that, right away, he made it 2-0 for us. I think we have defended quite well against a team with many offensive arguments.”

Sadiq’s brace takes his tally for the season to 12 goals, with his latest efforts helping his club consolidate their second position on the log and intensify their promotion chances.

The 24-year-old is enjoying a fantastic start to 2022. Sadiq scored his first international goal for Nigeria at the Afcon in Cameroon and has maintained that momentum by scoring in each of his last three league matches for Almeria.

Almeria are second on the Spanish Segunda Division table with 55 points from 28 matches, a point behind leaders Eibar.