On Wednesday morning, Nigeria’s under-17 team nicknamed the Golden Eaglets crashed out of the 2019 U-17 World Cup after a dismal 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands at the Estadio Olimpico in their Round of 16 knock out stage clash.
The starting line up included starlets Jinadu, Adeniyi, Etim, Tijani, Ikenna, Ibrahim, Olusegun, Ojediran, Olawale, Amoo and Ibrahim Sa’id but Netherlands were the more coordinated and attacking team in the first 20 minutes of the game and allowed Manchester City’s Jayden Braaf to tee up Ajax’s Sontje Hansen for the opening goal inbarely four minutes.
Nigeria’s Amoo celebrated Olakunle Olusegun for the equalising goal twelve minutes later, but after three minutes, bad defending exposed Manu Garba’s young team when Hansen was allowed to score his second goal and put Netherlands in the lead 2-1.
Peter Olawale and Olusegun had opportunities to change the match and missed important chances but Dutch youngster Hansen converted a penalty to grab his third goal after VAR ruled that Nigeria’s Ferdinand Ikenna blocked Mohamed Taabouni’s shot with his hand in the 76th minute.
Nigeria is now out of the tournament together with another African side Angola who lost to South Korea on Tuesday.
