Sports
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GOLDEN Eaglets of Nigeria has advanced to the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA U-17 tournament in Chile after overrunning Australia 6 – 0, at the round of 16. The reigning FIFA U-17 World Cup champions will meet Brazil on Sunday, November 1.
The Nigerian team was very impressive with Victor Osimhen, scoring a hat-trick to end Australia’s hope of advancing in the tournament. The tale of the first half was compacted into a three-minute period as Nigeria scored twice in the first half match.
It was 2-0 at the interval, and the game was still a contest until the final 17 minutes before Nigeria ran riot against an Australian side looking flat after surviving the ‘group of death’. The Aussies started in pro-active fashion, but it was Funsho Ibrahim Bamgboye who hit the post with a rasping shot from the edge of the penalty area as Nigeria’s first effort narrowly failed to break the deadlock.
That moment came on 22 minutes as Osimhen showed just why he is the tournament’s leading goal scorer by bursting forward with pace and power on the left to score the opening goal.
Australia could have drawn level immediately with Cameron Joice seeing his shot saved, while Lucas Derrick pushed the follow-up wide as a golden opportunity was spurned. Almost immediately Nigeria was two in front as Funsho Bambgboye was brought down in the penalty area. Kelechi Nwakali made no mistake as he coolly slotted home the resultant penalty.
The two goals seemed to inspire the Nigerians who took a greater hold as the half wore on creating several half-openings around the Aussie goal. Nigerians continued their powerful performance after the break, and although Australia dominated possession for a while, it was the Africans who ended the contest with a third.
Osimhen scored twice in the space of six minutes, the second with another laser-perfect drive into the top corner. The deflated Aussies conceded more goals in the dying minutes as substitutes Edidiong Michael Essien, and Samuel Chukwueze, inflicted further pain as Nigeria stormed into the last-eight in confident fashion.
— Nov 9, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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