Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets has become the first African team to book a 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup ticket after beating Angola 1-0 defeat of in Dar-es-Salaam.
Olakunle Olusegun earned the ticket to the tournament semifinals and to Brazil 2019 when he hooked a 21st minute penalty to the roof of the net with Angola’s goalkeeper Geovani stranded. But the Eaglets were guilty of profligacy and the technical crew certainly has much to do still.
The Eaglets proved to be masters of use of space and close control, but they mostly lacked the right ideas and punch in the final third, just as some passes went astray at critical moments.
Two-goal hero against Tanzania, Wisdom Ubani could have been on the score sheet in the 11th minute but his fierce effort from a 22-yard free kick went narrowly off target.
Angola were not to be brow-beaten, as Zito latched onto the ball a few metres from the centre and unleashed a rocket that goalkeeper Sunday Stephen, in for the jittery Suleman Shaibu, did well to punch away.
