The Flying Eagles of Nigeria kicked off their 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign on a bright note thumping Qatar 4-0 in their opening match of Group D at the Tychy Stadium on Friday reports Completesports.com.
The two-time first runners-up, Nigeria, who are making a return to the event after missing out on Korea Republic 2017 edition scored twice in the opening 30 minutes courtesy of strikes from Maxwell Effiom andbOkechukwu Offia in the 12th and 24th minute respectively.
Both goals were assisted by captain Ikouwem Udoh Utin.
It is the Flying Eagles’ 12th appearance in the competition while it’s Qatar’s fourth.
The Flying Eagles had their chance at goal in the third minute when Qatar’s goalkeeper, Shehab Mamdouh’s poor clearance was intercepted by Tom Dele-Bashiru, but the Manchester City youngster’s shot on goal was blocked.
Qatar came close to breakinig the deadlock two minutes later when Ahmed Suhail’s free-kick went inches wide of Olawale Oremade’s goal area.
Effiom made the Flying Eagles dominnace count in the 12th minute when Udoh’s goal bound shot was parried by Mamdouh onto the path of Effiom who rifled the ball into Qatar’s net from close range.
In the 24th minute Udoh’s cutback pass from the left flank found Offia who finished off the move with a simple tap in, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
In the second half, goals from
Tom Dele Bashiru and Aliu Salawudeen completed the rout for Paul Aigbogun’s side.
Flying Eagles will face USA in their next game on the 27th of May.
By Johnny Edward
19 Comments
Good one guys! You are definitely one of the contenders for this world cup. The team may not have that much extremely great players but the team work is, you are well drilled by the coach. I noticed that Nigeria teams performed better when much is not expected from them ,that’s why I didn’t join the bandwagon of those who where busy criticising him and accusing him of corruption without evidence.
To me the players are good but the coach is not sharp enough to mark out some error in the second half of the game. You can the work rate of Qartar players in the second half compare to ours, when we play more technical team we shall have problem in the midfield and defence. The coach need to work in this area in this team, he need to blend the midfield with the defence other wise Nigeria should prepare and come early. I was not too impressed with what I see on the Field today. God bless Nigeria.
You are very shallow minded to think people hate the national team for querying certain things. If you have nothing to write just keep quiet. Anyway good win for us more room to improve
Observation:
1. You can only play the opposition before you. The Flying Eagles were up against minnows in Qatar. The quality of their opponents affected the overall quality of the game but Aigbogun’s men proved their overwhelming superiority with 4 unreplied goals and that itself set them apart.
2. Aigbogun’s game plan worked. From the Afcon U-21 tournament, they had a pattern of trying to score from crossing manoeuvres. The first 2 goals came from crosses and the 4th goal came from knock-down from a corner kick. Should they perfect this strategy and add different dimensions to it, Utin and Co will cause teams problems.
3. This is not an exciting team to watch; at least not yet. However, If they come against a more technical and well drilled team, I don’t think they will be overawed. They will stand their own because, from evidence of today’s match, they have the potential to step up a gear or two. But it is doubtful their physicality alone will be enough to see them through.
Overall:
Although they scored 4 goals today, Aigbogun’s boys still need to exhibit more bite.
They have to show that they can break teams down and unlock defenses in a variety of creative ways.
They also lack flair, panache, poise and elegance.
The likes of Dele-Bashiru, Utin Udoh and that number 11 tried to inject some flair but it was wholly inadequate – Nigerian fans are used to being entertained to high standards.
They can go as far as the quarter finals but if they come against a highly technical Italy, Columbia or France, it could be curtains.
You would always expect our sheer physical and natural advantages (including using older players) to see us through the group stages of these underage tournaments. It is when it gets to that part of the tournament where you need to play football more with your brains than with our muscles that breeze will blow and ‘your guess will be good as mine’
Interesting to see a Nigerian team put 4 goals past its opponents, but for me, that is where the euphoria ends…just like at the AFCON U20s where we twice met a technically sound SA U20 team with real 20 years olds and we couldnt do jack against them with this our one directional style of play (kick the ball to the full backs….work the bylines with the right winger, cross into the box and hope someone is at the right place at the right time), when the real push comes to shove, we will see if these ones are worthy of ‘bearing the mark’.
I bet you didn’t see the 3rd goal where Kingsley gave an Iwobi kind of dangerous defence splitting pass for Tom Dele-Bashiru to finish it with a side-foot then you will know that Your analysis is totally opposite
What defence splitting pass…? The defence was actually no where to be found…? The high press form the FE ensured the Qatari full back was caught napping from recieving the ball from his GK, and with the wide space between the 2 centre backs and Dele pressing them high, it only made sense that on recovering the ball kingsley will find a Dele who was already ghosting into that space. How many of such other ‘defense splitting passes’ did you see for the rest of the match for a pretty less than averagely organize Qatari defene..?
Calm down @chairman and dont let this euphoria take you too far away. This movie is one we have seen again and again and we know how it will end.
Oro agba bi o se lowuro bo pe titi a se lojo ale.
Dr Drey, I know exactly where your coming from. There was so many brainless decisions, especially from the homebased players, that I don’t understand where my guy Goal gets his optimism that we are contenders. The guy that played upfront with Offia (can’t remember his name) is a one of the most unintelligent strikers I have ever witnessed. There was no appreciation of positioning or intelligent runs into space. It got a bit better when he was replaced. And my guess is he is not anywhere near under 20, so i see no hope for career progression. Also the dude that played CB with Ozonwafor was a serious liability even though he scored the 4th goal. He always used to go for the same challenge with Ozonwafor so 1 pass could easily beat the 2 of them, case in point that open chance Qatar had in the 1st half. The only thing that encourages me is that we hope to see the progress of Dele-Bashiru, Kingsley Michael, Success Makanjuola and Nnamdi Oforbor, who are actually the young players. And from what i have seen from Dele-Bashiru, Micheal and probably Makanjuola, i expect them to make the step up to the Super Eagles in the very near future. I think this team will be found out in the quarterfinals.
Old old men wey no get shame,every thing about our country is scam
pls let’s stop exposing our players concerning this overage thing, we’re not the only one doing it, everybody in Africa uses overage players, and even most countries in south america. So let’s stop exposing our selves.
So is it good…? Bcos ‘everybody’ does something does not make it right. If you were a 19 yr old and another team pits a 35 yr old against you in an U20 tournament, how would you feel.
My younger brother who is 23 looks so young that i feel oursour U20 players can have him as their son,i didn’t say no age cheating in soccer but Nigeria own too much,am 32 now and i look so young,even my face is much younger than those players,our keeper and that our captain looks like 33 34 years old,they cut all their age off while we have good young boys that can represent us in this competition but our so called Nigeria elders won’t let them choose the right guys because of bribe
@Charles,I beg your pardon no one look 33/34 in our team.
You and your brother may not be professional athletes or may have lived a good life,perhaps have a deceptively young looking skin so please do not be stereotype.
Athletes goes through strenous fitness exercises on daily basis this take a tole on them.
Besides we are impoverished,training and not eating to nourish the body could lead to ageing!
I was a footballer myself and played to a professional level before I quit at a very young age due to serious injuries.At 16 I was playing at a very high level and you wouldn’t think I was that age if you are not an athlete you won’t understand.
I was raised in Ajegunle a suburb in Nigeria.So I know poverty and how it can affect your looks.
Most of them could be using their real age we are not their parents so are not in a position to call them old!I think that is reckless and absurd.
Good reply. Thanks for that
Very Funny at how quick people are calling us age cheats. Please if you have proof of anyone older than 20 in that team, please provide it. It’s not like you were present when this kids were born. Mali was just eliminated from the under 17 world cup because a player presented documents different from another the player attended. Right there is proof. So if you don’t have one and all you doing is assumption, please spare us on this forum
Bless you ADE. Of all the Countries l have had the privileged to live, Nigeria is only place that put their own down. It is a cultural thing for them.
Nigerians are ready to lie about individual they don’t even know to justify their own inadequacies.
l am, some times, happy though,to see folks like Ade here who possesses that higher moral standard.
May both of you Ade and Edoman walk and never stumble.
We need to put aside this age cheat speculations and let this boys breathe.
If anyone has evidence that the boys are cheating, then they should present this to FIFA, if not, let them keep their baseless allegations to themselves.
If they have any proof, they should present it. If don’t they should take a soothing medicament for their anxieties.
i wonder how people just conclude about our players being age cheats with no evidence to show. how long will we continue to bring our very own down. that they look kinda matured in face does not justify the fact that they are old. have we not seen a 20 year old that looks like a 30 years old, and he is not even an athlete. let appreciate what we have, let praise them when they do well and constructively criticize when they dont. God bless Naija
When we have finished deceiving ourselves with this ‘proof’ thing, our eyes will open up to reality. For all those claiming its not possible to know a person’s age by mere physical or facial examination, pls google Joseph Minala and go to the images section and tell me that ‘man’ you see there is really a 22 year old.
We all know the only means of declaration of age acceptable by Fifa is the international passport, and we all know how international passports are obtained in developing countries where we dont have database of births….money for hand back for ground….it is what you tell the officials to write that will be written on the passports or on the affidavit you obtain from wherever.
The Guinean players that were discovered to be cheats in the last african U17 championships actually had 2 passports, but even before those ‘proofs’ were made available people could SEE these ones were over 17 based on their physical appearance.
Proofs only validates whats in existence…..A proof is not an indication of existence…its only a validation. Nobody here has ever seen God…infact no human being has, but we all know, feel and believe God does exist…i don’t even need any holy books or paper proofs to tell me that.
When I see an adult, I know one, When I see a teenager, I know one, when I see a child, I know one, when I see a toddler, I know one. At my age nobody can deceive me with passport crap.
I was also an athlete in varsity, I played soccer for my university team and semi-pro football between that period till when I got my licence to practice my profession. Sports doesn’t make you look older, it only makes you look fitter and healthier. Lets drop these crappy excuses we give to support illegality.
I knew a certain SE 2014 WC player way back in the mid 2000’s when we played for uniport at the NICON-NUFOL universities football league back home. I watched him together with a friend who was a scout. That same player was registered as a 23 year old at Brazil 2014. I guess he made it into varsity at the age of 13..?
Another ex-golden eaglets player of the same period (pre-MRI period) was a HND student in one of the polytechnics in Osun state, he played for his school in the NIPOGA games back then before playing for the golden eaglets, yet was registered as a 15 year old in the U17WC. I guess he also made it into polytechnic as a 12yr old.
Let us keep telling ourselves lies…..we will see how long a house built on a foundation of lies will stand.