…to meet Gabon in final round
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets last night in Abeokuta ran riots with goals over their visitors and are through to the final qualifying round of the 2015 African Championship to be hosted in Niger after a 5-0 aggregate win against Les Leopards of Congo Democratic Republic.
The team coached by ex-Super Eagles winger, Emmanuel Amuneke leading 1-0 from the first leg second round match played in Kinshasa last weekend, the Golden Eaglets confirmed their superiority again with a 4-0 win at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on Sunday in front of appreciative home fans.
There were first half goals for Suleiman Abdullahi, Victor Osimhen while Kehinde Ayinde and Samuel Chukwueze added the other two goals inthe second half.
In attendance to watchthe second leg encounter were Ogun State’s First Lady, Mrs. Olufunso Ibikunle who stood in for His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the Special Guest of Honour; Dr. Lanre Tejuoso( State’s Commissioner for Youth & Sport; Chief Mike Umeh, theNFF’s Acting President and his 1st Vice, Dr. Shehu Adamu amongst other important dignitaries.
The Golden Eaglets dominated the game right from the outset with some good positional play but failed to convert early chances.
But on the dot of 30th minute, Suleiman Abdullahi scrambled the ball into the net for the first goal after the Congolese goalkeeper Sese Bia Israel failed to deal with a floater from Kingsley Michael.
Michael nearly added the second goal five minutes later when his long range shot was parry away by Israel. From then, the Golden Eaglets mounted more pressure forcing the Congolese to concede a corner in the 42nd minute.
Suleiman took the resultant corner kick and Victor Osimhen nodded into the net after Israel’s failed to hold tightly to the ball.
At the restart, the Congolese nearly pulled a goal back in the 47th minute but Djemes Diala’s angular shot was caught by Goalkeeper Akpan Udoh. Udoh was also at his best few minutes later when he touched away Mutatu Mbedi’s well struck free kick.
Amuneke pulled injured Chinedu Ndu for Samuel Chukwueze and it was the gifted striker that provided Kehinde Ayinde to bury the ball beyond Israel for the third goal in the 67th.
The last moment was very dramatic as Abdullahi saw his ball hit the goal post in the 89th minute after the goalkeeper has been well displaced by Chukwueze.
But Chukwueze still had the final word when he drove the ball into the net with almost the last kick of the match.
Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets would now meet Gabon in the third and final round towards a place in the next African U-17 Championship after the latter eliminated Ethiopia on a 3-0 aggregate on Saturday.
THE SUN
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