NIGERIA’S GOLDEN EAGLETS WINS U-17 WORLD CUP

Golden Eaglets Lifting The U-17 Trophy

After 120 minutes of scoreless soccer, Nigeria defeated Spain in penalty kicks to win its third U-17 World Cup (though before 1991, it was a U-16 competition). Spain failed to convert any of its first three penalty kicks in the shootout, missing the first and seeing Oladele Ajiboye save the next two. The young Golden Eaglets from Africa scored their first three kicks making the last two unnecessary.

“In the penalties, I just waited to see where they kick and I dived for the ball,” Ajiboye said after the game. “This was my greatest ever performance.”

Before the match in Seoul, the Guardian in Britain predicted the Eaglets would show promise not just against Spain, but for the future of Nigerian soccer. “[T]here is something extraordinarily confident about this latest generation that suggests they may achieve greater things at senior level than their predecessors,” the Guardian said.

The Nigerians had every reason to be confident as they’ve had tremendous success at the youth level. This was the Golden Eaglets fifth final. They won the title twice before. Much was expected.

“The only thing that will make Nigerians happy is for us to lift the trophy on Sunday. Nigerians don’t like to be second best,” head coach Yemi Tella said after his team dispatched Germany in the semifinal. (Video highlights of that semifinal match are available here.)

Tella’s side did not disappoint. Nigeria, which won all six games it played, defeated Argentina and France as well as Germany on its way to the championship showing that its teenagers have strong international pedigree. The Eaglets scored 16 goals, conceding only four.

“As for the future of the team,” Tella said after the victory, “we’re building this team to be a foundation for the senior national team.”

Spain was forced to play without its main scoring threats as Bojan, a Barcelona product, was suspended and Villareal’s Jordi was out with an injury. The two were responsible for eight of Spain’s 13 goals in the tournament.

Interesting: All three of Nigeria’s championships have been won in Asia — South Korea, 2007; China, 1985, against West Germany; and Japan, 1993, against Ghana.