Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Emmanuel Emenike scored twice as African champion Nigeria came from behind to win 2-1 in Ethiopia in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on Sunday.
The Fenerbahce striker equalized in the 67th minute and then converted a 90th-minute penalty to give Nigeria an away victory after Behailu Assefa had surprisingly put the Ethiopians ahead in the 57th.
While Nigeria appears on course for a second straight World Cup appearance, the home loss was a serious blow to Ethiopia's hopes of qualifying for football's main event for the first time.
Emenike led a solid effort in Addis Ababa in Africa's final two-legged World Cup playoffs from a Nigerian team that also included Chelsea's John Obi Mikel and Liverpool's Victor Moses. The second leg in Nigeria is Nov. 16.
