Izuchukwu OkosiTwo late goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean secured three priceless points for Scotland Saturday evening in their 2024 Euro Championship qualifier against Norway at the Ulleval stadium in Oslo.
Inspired by Arsenal captain who is also the leader of the Norwegians, Martin Odegaard, the home side were the better side for most parts of the game and seemed to be running away with a victory after Erling Haaland put them ahead in the second half.
The penalty goal was his 53rd goal in the season for club and country.
A much needed win in the Group A game could have revived Norway’s European dreams but Scotland’s goals late on ensured that the Tartan Army won three straight games on the spin.
First, Dykes pounced on a mistake with three minutes of normal time remaining to snatch what seemed like a brilliant point for Scotland.
Barely two minutes later substitute McLean swept the ball home to send the travelling Tartan Army into ecstasy and secure a scarcely believable three points.
Victory kept Scotland top of Group A on a maximum nine points, six clear of Spain, who have a game in hand, and eight in front of a devastated Norway who are in third.
Scotland will face Georgia on Tuesday at Hampden, where a win would take them to within touching distance of a place at back-to-back European Championships.
Manchester City’s record-breaking striker was practically a spectator for the first hour, but was lurking in the box waiting for a cross when Ryan Porteous stuck out a leg, resulting in the penalty.
Haaland drilled the ball past a diving Angus Gunn to give Norway a deserved lead.
At that point Scotland had only had two shots, their lowest total since 2016, before inspiring a crazy turnaround, helped by suspect Norway defending.
Leo Ostigard could only clear John McGinn’s pass into Dykes’ path, and he stayed composed to prod in.
Just as heart rates in the Scotland end had returned to normal, Dykes knocked a cross into McLean’s path and he beautifully stroked in a priceless winner.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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