Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets yesterday at the National Stadium, Abuja secured a quarter final ticket at the on-going Under -17 World Cup after they white –washed New Zealand by 5-0.
Edafe Edgbedi’s 14th minute goal gave the Eaglets the lead after the attacker sold a dummy to the New Zealand defence before taking a sliced left foot shot to the keepers extreme right.
The assured underdogs raised their game and mounted pressure seeking an equalizer, but they could not , as the Eaglets snatched the game off them and piled more pressure, resulting in a 24th minute goal scored by Stanley Okoro, before Edgbedi scored his brace in the 28th minute to go in the break three goals up.
On resumption in the second half, the Eaglets became more aggressive and played a more purposeful football.
They maintained their dominance of the beginning of the second stanza, following which substitute Sani Emmanuel scored his own brace in the 75th and 79th minute.
All through the game, the Europeans fought like wounded lions to at least have a consolation goal, but to no avail.
The fact that they were one man down from the 35th minute did not help matters either.
The centre referee had given a straight red card to Cameron Lindsay for attacking Okoro from behind.
By the end of the game, the Eaglets shone like a million stars contrary to pre-match insinuation that given their inability to find the net during the group stage, New Zealand could be a stumbling block to the team retaining the title they won two years ago in South Korea.
With this outstanding win, Nigerians seem unanimous that perhaps the Eaglets may be the first team to retain the trophy back –to-back since its inception in 1985 which the Eaglets won.

Tonye Orabere