Golden Eaglets on Friday recorded a 3-1 win over their Egyptian counterparts to complete a double win in as many days at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna. The victory followed Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the visiting Junior Pharaohs.
Ebere Osinachi scored a first half brace for Nigeria while Victor Osimhen added the other goal while Egypt’s solitary goal was converted from a penalty by Hosam Adel But the game started cautiously with both teams sizing up one another and it was Nigeria that made early incursion into the visitors’ half.
However, in the 12th minute, Nigeria went into the lead after the visitor conceded a corner and the floater by Kolawole Gbadamosi slipped away to quick-witted Ebere Osinachi who evaded a marker before
slotting the ball into the net.
Osinachi could have scored the second goal in the 30th minute when he got a through pass following a one-touch combination with Kelechi Nwakali but his angular shot went wide off the right side of the post.
He equally wasted another opportunity in the 34th minute when he shot the over the bar even with the goalkeeper at his mercy.
Almost immediately, Sunday Alimi saw his lively shot ricocheted off the post after he capitalised on a blunder by Egypt’s Hatem Ahmed.
In the 43rd minute, Osinachi made up for previous misses when he guided Anas Mohammed incisive pass beyond goalkeeper Mahmod Gad as the first half gradually came to an end.
Expectedly on resumption of second half, the Eaglets pulled out Osinachi for Victor Osimhen; Samuel Chukwueze for Chinedu Madueke; Suleiman Abdullahi for Alimi Sunday as well as debuting goalkeeper
Ebuka Nwokocha for Amos Benjamin.
Despite ceaseless pressure, the Golden Eaglets failed to take advantage and against the run of play, the Egyptians forced their way at the other end. In the milieu, defender Lukman Halilu conceded a penalty after he mistakenly handled the ball in the box and resultant penalty kick was converted by Hosam Adel.
The goal spurred the Egyptian into action but on the whole there was little separating both sides as the Golden Eaglets failed to even convert numerous chances thereafter.
But in added time, second half substitute, Victor Osimhen drew the curtain on the match when he profited from a precise pass from Muhammed to make it a 3-1 win in favour of Eaglets.
The victory notwithstanding, Golden Eaglets’ coach Emmanuel Amuneke (MON) said he was not satisfied with the team’s overall performance, promising to ring further changes as the team continue to build up
towards the CAN 2015 qualifiers in July.
“Yes, we won but I’m not too impressed,” said Amuneke.” But the most important thing is that we have been able to see the players against a very good Egyptian team.
“We would continue to work hard and we still have more players that we would give opportunity to in the days ahead,”he noted.
Eaglets vs. Egypt
Amos(E. Nwokocha 45th) -K. A.Muhammed;Gbadamosi; B. Ayodeji;L. Halilu; J.Ipalibo;K.Nwakali, A.Sunday(S.Abdullahi 45th); C.Madueke(S.Chukwueze 45th); C. Eugene;E.Osinachi(V.Osimhen 45th)
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