FIFA U20 World Cup: Nigeria Gets Off To Winning Start, Beat Dominican Republic 2-1
In the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria earned the first three points of Group D after beating the Dominican Republic in Mendoza early on Monday morning thanks to an own goal scored by Guillermo De Rena and a smart finish by Samson Lawal. The match took place in Mendoza.
Within the first quarter of an hour, Tochukwu Nnadi had threatened in the fore, Ibrahim Muhammad’s shot had been firmly held by goalkeeper Xavier Valdez, and Jude Sunday had threatened in the fore before the Japanese referee Yusuke Araki decided to consult the Video Assistant Referee and then award a penalty to Dominican Republic in the 20th minute, after a tackle by Daniel Daga.
Edison Azcona did an outstanding job converting the penalty that was awarded as a result.
Sunday, Nnadi, Fago Lawal, Samson Lawal, and Muhammad all doubled their efforts with onslaughts launched towards the opposition; however, goalkeeper Valdez was brilliant on the day, especially in tipping over Sunday’s dipping shot from outside the box in the 37th minute. Muhammad also doubled his efforts with onslaughts launched towards the opposition.
The defender Solomon Agbalaka, who scored the goal that put Egypt out of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament in January, attempted a header in the 58th minute, but Valdez was able to save it. Agbalaka scored the goal that put Egypt out of the tournament. In the 61st minute, after a darting run, the substitute Emmanuel Umeh should have done more with the ball than simply place it in the hands of the goalkeeper who was waiting.
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Samson Lawal was very alert to smell blood and capitalize on a defensive lapse by the boys from Dominican Republic to score Nigeria’s winner in the 68th minute. Daga, Sunday, and substitute Haliru Sarki all tested the keeper in a second half that was dominated by Nigeria, but it was Lawal who scored the game-winning goal for Nigeria. After a flowing sequence of teamwork, Jude Sunday put the ball in the back of the net a minute earlier, but it was ruled that he was offside.
“Although we are satisfied with the three points, we had hoped that the boys would win by a larger margin because in a competition such as this, having a goals advantage does matter as the game progresses.
“The next two matches will be much tougher and I expect the Flying Eagles to also show sterner stuff,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, who watched the match at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza. “The next two matches will be much tougher and I expect the Flying Eagles to also show sterner stuff.”
On Wednesday evening, the team that has finished in second place twice at the FIFA U20 World Cup will face Italy in a match that will take place at the same venue. Before their final match against Brazil in the group phase, which will take place on Saturday in La Plata, it is imperative that the Flying Eagles earn a draw in order to ensure that they advance to the knockout stages.