FIFA Under-17 World Cup: Golden Eaglets Zoom Into Knockout Phase, Defeats Ecuador

By Akinwale Kasali

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, Tuesday night, kept the dream of winning its sixth FIFA Under-17 World Cup Trophy alive.  The team defeated South American side, Ecuador, 3-2, to cement its place in the Round of 16.

Just like its first match against Hungary, the Golden Eaglets came from behind to win the fierce match.

As early as the second minute, Ibrahim Said gave the Nigerian side the lead to put the West African side in a comfortable seat.

Sadly, the lead lasted only three minutes as the attacking minded Ecuadorians restored parity in the match, courtesy of an own goal, by Golden Eaglets Daniel Jinadu, following series of attack launched by the Ecuadorians.

It became a ding-dong affair all through the first interval, as flurry of chances went begging for both sides, who failed to convert the opportunities

At the start of the second half, both team continued from where they stopped with the Video Assistant Referee, VAR, coming to the rescue and advantage of Ecuador, awarding a penalty to the  South Americans, after a rough tackle by a Nigerian who kicked the Ecuadorian striker.

The Ecuadorians converted the spot kick to take the lead, forcing the Golden Eaglets to chase the game.

The Nigerian side were rewarded for their persistence, as Ibrahim Said scored the equaliser in the 85th-minute, and added the third goal four minutes later to give the Golden Eaglets a deserved 3-2 victory.

The last group match against Australia will be a mere formality as the Nigerians have qualified for the knockout stage.

The other group B match between Hungary and Australia ended 2-2