Nigeria U17 team fail to win their final warm up game ahead of the start of the U17 World Youth Championship after losing 0-1 to Japan yesterday, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.
Japan’s only goal of the night was scored by Wakatsuki Yamato in the 22nd minute. They hanged on to their lead mostly due to their mercurial midfielder Joel Chima Fujita who is of Nigerian descent.
The 17 year old who plays for Tokyo Verdy in the second division of Japanese football league (J2) made mincemeat of the Nigerian midfield as he dictated play from the midfield.
Blessed with the ability to use both feet properly, he was the man his teammates rely on to bail them out in tight situations particularly if they can’t penetrate the midfield of Nigeria. He acted as the link between their defence and attack with ease.
He was also their designated dead ball taker as he took all of their freekicks and corner kicks which he took with a pattern he maintained all through the course of the game. Already he has been tipped as one of the stars of the Japanese U17 team.
