Nigeria U-17 team started their campaign at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup with a comeback 4-2 win over Hungary in their opening game at the tournament, which they have won more than any team in the history of the championship.
The five time winners of the U-17 World Cup had to claw their way back into the game twice but finally sealed the win with a strong second half display which saw them score three goals in nine minutes to fight from 2-1 down and claim a 4-2 win.
Nigeria fought their way back into the game with a brace from captain of the team Samson Tijjani and further goals from Usman Ibrahim and Oluwatimilehin Adeniyi. The win takes them to top of group B on same points with Ecuador who were 2-1 winners over Australia.
The Golden Eaglet are however top of the group due to a superior goal difference of +2 against that of Ecuador which stands at +1. Their performance in the win was however mixed as they went from a ridiculous display in the first half to a sublime performance in the second half.
We take a look at four major things that happened during the course of the game before they take on Ecuador in their second group game later today.
Defence Is Still A Problem – Before the team departed for the U-17 World Cup, the major headache of the team lies in the defence. That was once again noticed with the way they conceded twice against Hungary. The goals could and should have been avoided with simple basics if they were applied by the back four of Oluwatimilehin Adeniyi, Charles Etim, Ferdinand Ikenna and Usman Ibrahim.
Attack Is The Strength Of The Team – Their qualification for the U-17 World Cup was on the back of their ability to score goals and they once again proved it with four goals. The fact that none of the strikers scored should be a cause for concern for the coaches but on the other hand it shows that the goal scoring responsibility of the team is not in the hands of the strikers only.
However a decision need to be taken on how to get the best out of the attacking duo of Wisdom Ubani and Olakunle Olusegun as they both struggled to understand how best to utilize their obvious qualities in the box.
Akinkunmi Amoo Deserve To Start Against Ecuador – The introduction of the petit winger sparked the Nigerian team to life. Took his men on confidently and played through balls with ease. A surprise omission from the starting lineup he justified his high rating for the time he was on the pitch and he has done enough to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.
Fitness Powered Nigeria Past Hungary – As the game wore on, it’s clear to see that the Nigerians were by far the fitter team. Hungary ran out of stem in the second half while the Nigerian team didn’t stop running even deep into time added on. That extra in terms of stamina made the win possible for the boys of coach Manu Garba.
