Ndịdị, Iheanacho Fail Too Reach Carabao Cup Semi-final After Liverpool Penalty Defeat
By Ebube Dike
Super Eagles’ Wilfred Ndịdị and Kelechi Iheanacho on Wednesday got eliminated from the 2022 Carabao Cup quarter-final after they lost to Liverpool on penalty shootout
It was a game Leicester City coach Brendan Rodgers will watch over again to know where he got it wrong after the Foxes surrendered a 3-1 lead to succumb to a 3-3 scoreline and got eliminated in the end.
Ndidi, as it were last season, played in the centre back due to the absence of Johnny Evans while Iheanacho was a second half substitute
Japanese forward Takumi Minamino broker Leicester City fans’ hearts with last minute equaliser in the second half after the Foxes were leading 3-2
Iheanacho scored his own spot kick but Diogo Jota scored the decisive kick to earn Liverpool a 5-4 win.
It’s a game Leicester would look back on with regrets as they went into the break 3-1 ahead but capitulated to surrender their lead.
The victory means that Liverpool are making their first semi-final appearance in the EFL Cup since 2017.
In other matches, a depleted Chelsea squad defeated Brentford 2-0 with both goals scored in the last 10 minutes as the Blues made their way into the last four
Super Eagle’s Frank Onyeka featured for 16 minutes of the match but could not save his side from crashing out.
An own goal in the 80th minute by Pontu Jasson and a penalty goal by Jorginho in the 85th ensured that Chelsea who have struggled to win matches in recent times, scaled through to the last four.
In the other match, Tottenham Hotspur defeated West Ham 2+1 to also reach the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, for their efforts, Chelsea have been handed a North London rival, Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final fixtures released almost immediately after the last eight matches were decided.
Arsenal will seek to navigate Liverpool’s hurdle in their quest to play in the final in February next year.
The semi-final first legs will be played during the week commencing 3 January 2022 and the second legs will be played during the week commencing 10 January 2022 with the Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 27 February 2022.