WAFU U17: Golden Eaglets defeat Mali 2-0

[ogasir]

http://newtelegraphonline.com/wafu-b-to ... -mali-2-0/

Golden Eaglets on Monday made good their promise of winning their first international match at the WAFU B Under-17 Tournament in Togo by edging out Mali 2-0 in the first of their Group B’s double header at the Stade Municipal.

Nigeria’s first goal was courtesy of Najeeb Hamza via a penalty kick in the 34th minute when striker Orji Okonkwo was brought down by the Malian goalkeeper inside the box while Dauda Abdulganiyu secured the second goal in the 80th minute.

The match, which was played under floodlight, was watched by an enthusiastic crowd including Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Togo, Ambassador Mathew Sunday Adoli; hordes of people from the Nigerian business and student community in Lome. Also in attendance were Alhaji Yussuf Fresh, a board member of the NFF who is also the Golden Eaglets’ Leader of Delegation to Togo and Mr. Patrick Pascal, a special assistant to NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Maigari, has categorically told the up-and-coming national Under-17 team to follow the legends of their illustrious predecessors, who have won the World Cup a record four times.

[frlawrence1]

Well, 2-0 no bad as their camping was short....

[oyek]

Well, 2-0 no bad as their camping was short....

Like the Malians came to sell groundnuts, abi?

[metalalloy]

Well, 2-0 no bad as their camping was short....

Like the Malians came to sell groundnuts, abi?

you cant satisfy Nigerians

[GUEST]

VERY GOOD RESULT..

They can only Get better..

[frlawrence1]

Well, 2-0 no bad as their camping was short....

Like the Malians came to sell groundnuts, abi?

Thanks for agreeing with me.... 2-0 no bad at all at all

[Odas]

Well, 2-0 no bad as their camping was short....

Like the Malians came to sell groundnuts, abi?

you cant satisfy Nigerians

KPAM!

[onovo]

Golden Eaglets' Head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has warned his wards to be wary of Mali when they meet for the second time in as many days at the WAFU B Under-17 Tournament in Togo on Wednesday at the Stade Municipal.


Nigeria and Mali were left in Group B following the withdrawal of Niger from the tournament and Wednesday's match slated for 3:00pm local time (4:00pm Nigerian time) would determine who tops the group'.


Secure


Golden Eaglets had already recorded 2-0 win on Monday and would need at least draw to secure their position of the group with a chance of meeting Group A's runner-up in the semi-final on Friday.


- The game on Monday gave us better ideas about the Malians and I must confess, they are a very good side, Amuneke said after Eaglets' training session on Tuesday.


- We had thought the Malians were going to parade big players like they did when we played them during the qualifiers for the 2013 CAN Championship in Morocco but I'm quite impressed with the young boys they brought here.
Fight


The former African Footballer of the Year said his desire at the tournament was to win all his matches and has therefore warned his boys to expect fight back from the Malians.


- Of course, the game on Wednesday would be a total different one because the Malians would want to avenge their defeat but what we just have to consolidate on our position.


Written 22/04-14 19:59 by Akinbode Oguntuyi

[GUEST]

God, This Pictures says a Lot--The Future Looks Good..

http://www.fcnaija.com/eaglets-gun-for-double-over-mali

Just Couple of yrs. ago, We have Coaches Inviting Premier League

Players for U17-TEAM.

[JACKAL]

God, This Pictures says a Lot--The Future Looks Good..

http://www.fcnaija.com/eaglets-gun-for-double-over-mali

Just Couple of yrs. ago, We have Coaches Inviting Premier League

Players for U17-TEAM.

Some of them even look ajebuta-rish

[patrick]

Eaglets coach Amuneke (middle)
by Staff Reporter
Wednesday Apr 23, 2014. 20:31
Nigeria’s Eaglets on Wednesday again confirmed their supremacy over their Malian counterparts with another 2-0 win at the WAFU B Tournament in Togo.

The Golden Eaglets would now face the runners-up of Group A in one of the semi-finals on Thursday.

Two goals in the second half by Orji Okonkwo and Kehinde Ayinde cemented the Golden Eaglets top-place finish in Group B with the maximum six points following an identical 2-0 win against their West African foes earlier on Monday.

Coach Emmanuel Amuneke kept faith with the same starting line-up he used on Monday and the only notable change for Mali was goalkeeper Samuel Diarra who replaced Traore Alou.

But it was the Malians who started on the offensive after Togolese referee Kossi Azaleko signaled Nigeria to take the mandatory kick-off.

As early as the third minute of the match, the Malians nearly went in front, but were denied by brilliant Amos Benjamin in goal for Nigeria.

The Nigerian youngsters responded well and both Kehinde Ayinde and Kingsley Michael buried the ball behind goalkeeper Suleiman in the 15th and 26thth minute respectively but referee Azaleko ruled both goals off-side.

He also cancelled out a goal by the Malians in the 18th due to off side.

Azaleko was jeered by the fans towards the end of the first half for disallowing what looked like a legitimate goal for the Eaglets orchestrated from a sweet passing movement by the quartet of Orji Okonkwo, Ayinde, Dauda Ganiyu and Jack Ipalibo.

But the stadium finally came alive in the second half with the Eaglets on the offensive and they were soon rewarded when Ayinde sent a perfect cross for Okonkwo to nod home the first goal in the 48th minute. The goal brought confidence into the Eaglets and they held on to the lead despite occasional threats by the Malians.

From the 70th minutes, the Nigerians virtually dominated the game, but the second goal of the match did not come until the 84th minute. Man of the match, Eaglets' skipper, Kelechi Nwakali sent a long range pass to Abdulganiyu, who side-stepped two opposing defenders before releasing the ball for Ayinde to put behind goalkeeper Diarra for the second goal of the match.

Golden Eaglets vs. Mali
A. Benjamin (F. Idowu 91st) - A. Joshua. Gbadamosi; N. Hamza; A. Bamidele;- J. Ipalibo(S. Abdullahi 62nd );K.Michael; Nwakali; D. Abdulganiyu- O. Okonkwo; K. Ayinde

http://africanfootball.com/news/425594/ ... -over-Mali

[ogasir]

Sounds like Kelechi Nwakali has the same sweet passing ability as his older bro.

[osita]

God, This Pictures says a Lot--The Future Looks Good..

http://www.fcnaija.com/eaglets-gun-for-double-over-mali

Just Couple of yrs. ago, We have Coaches Inviting Premier League

Players for U17-TEAM.

Some of them even look ajebuta-rish

Ajebuter no fit win this thing, na Ajepaco we need

[Damunk]

Sounds like Kelechi Nwakali has the same sweet passing ability as his older bro.

So they are brothers? Impressive.

[agidi and okpa]

Ajekpako
I go laff tire.

God, This Pictures says a Lot--The Future Looks Good..

http://www.fcnaija.com/eaglets-gun-for-double-over-mali

Just Couple of yrs. ago, We have Coaches Inviting Premier League

Players for U17-TEAM.

Some of them even look ajebuta-rish

Ajebuter no fit win this thing, na Ajepaco we need

[kdk4christ]

[maceo4]

"We are very young boys nobody knows...."

[metalalloy]

"We are very young boys nobody knows...."

I am still not convinced without seeing pics and video clips of their school mates. Didn't they attend primary school in Nigeria?

[Damunk]

That jersey design is quite good!

[onovo]

The boys looks young

[oyek]

EAGLETS LOSE TO BENIN AGAIN
Eaglets lose to Benin again

by Staff Reporter
Friday Apr 25, 2014. 20:29
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets crashed out of the semi-final of WAFU B U17 Tournament on Friday, when they lost 3-1 on penalties to Benin after both neighbours had played out a pulsating 1-1 draw.

Benin had also stopped Nigeria from the 2009 African U17 Championship.

The Eaglets will now face the losers of the second semi-final between Mali and hosts Togo on Sunday.

The winners of this sub-regional competition are guaranteed a cash prize of $15,000.

Golden Eaglets second-half substitute Suleiman Abdullahi cancelled Benin's Adaomu Nassiru early lead and a winner did not emerge in regulation and extra time.

Nigeria started the game without injured midfielder Kingsley Michael, who was replaced by Dayo Femi.

But as early as the second minute, Femi was punished for ball-watching when fleet-footed Nassiru ghosted past him to score the opening goal of the match.

Few minutes later, it was the turn of the Eaglets on the other end when Joshua Auta nearly grabbed the equaliser, but his shot was cuddled by Benin goalkeeper.

The Nigerians were undeterred despite good possession of the ball by the Beninois and about a quarter of an hour, Orji Okonkwo latched on to a through pass from Kehinde Ayinde.

The languid striker out-paced two defenders and shot straight into the net, but his joy of grabbing an equaliser was short-lived by Nigerien referee Lalidia Souleymane, who ruled otherwise.

Jack Ipalibo also went close in the 37th minute, when he drove through the crowd, but saw his pile driver miss the target.

Towards the end of the first half, it was the Nigerians who were on the receiving end and were twice saved by the bar in the 42nd and fourth minutes.

In the second half, coach Emmanuel Amuneke brought in Suleiman Abdullahi for Dayo and his inclusion brought some order to the Nigerian midfield.

The Golden Eaglets skipper Kelechi Nwakali was hacked down in the box in the 63rd minute, but referee Souleymane did not call for any infringement.

But Abdullahi finally got the equaliser for the Eaglets in the 68th minute, when he scrambled the ball into the net off a corner.

The match could not produce a winner even after 30 minutes of extra-time and the Beninois triumphed in the ensuing penalty shootout.
http://africanfootball.com/news/425896/ ... enin-again

[osita]

The team needs to play enough matches in Nigeria.

Amunike has do far done a good job.

[oyek]

They are still in a building process anyway, they'll learn from this WAFU tourney and continue to build.