Nigeria ease past Sweden 3-0 to set up final date with Mexico

Three-time U17 World Cup champions Nigeria have a chance of making history in the final against Mexico, as they eased past Sweden 3-0 in a game, that wasn’t as easy as the score line suggested. After Argentina’s loss to Mexico in the first semifinal, the Super Eagles were the only unbeaten team in the tournament and they kept that record intact, thanks to goals from Awoniyi, Okon and Ezeh. They now face Mexico, a side they hammered in their opening game 6-1, in the final of the tournament, in which they are hoping to become the first country to win the U17 World Cup for the fourth time.

The duo had already met each other in the group stage in a game that ended 3-3, but Nigeria came into the semifinal as hot favorites and their record in the U17 World Cup semifinals read, played six, won six. So, the game began, with the most successful team in this format looking to make it to a record seventh appearance in the final. Nigeria were in red-hot attacking form as they had already scored 20 goals in their five previous matches and amongst their ranks had the player of the tournament in Kelechi Iheanacho, who had thus far managed 5 goals and 6 assists.

The game got going in the first minute itself, as both teams had a chance to open the scoring inside the opening sixty seconds and that set the tone for the rest of the game, with both teams intent on attacking. And it was Iheanacho who got the ball rolling for Nigeria, as his delightful through-ball set up Awoniyi in the 21^st minute, who promptly scored his fourth goal in six matches.

Ezeh should have doubled that lead right on the half hour mark but his header was off target, after a wonderful cross by their captain Musa Muhammed set him up perfectly. And the Super Eagles should have had a penalty just 2 minutes later, after a clear hand ball by Swedish captain E Andersson. But the incident was missed by the officials, who waved play on.

Any other team would have felt sorry for themselves, but not this Nigerian outfit as they came out in the second half all guns blazing. Ezeh had a couple of very good chances and it looked like he was having one of those nights when he just couldn’t buy a goal. He hit the post just a minute after the restart and again came close to a second with a shot from just outside the box, which was well saved by Mohlin in the 73^rd minute. But a two minute spell saw the Super Eagles score two goals and seal their spot in the final.

The second goal was made by Awoniyi, who set up Okon, who cut back onto his right foot and placed the ball in the bottom left hand corner to send Nigerian fans into a frenzy. And barely a minute after that, Ezeh’s perseverance finally paid off as he finally got the goal that his play deserved in 81^st minute, after Yahaya’s initial effort was well saved by Sweden’s Mohlin. The goal was his first in the tournament so far.

And that goal made it three-nil to Nigeria, which meant that they had scored 23 goals thus far, just one behind Germany, who hold the record for most goals scored in a single edition with their 24 in the 2011 edition. Although the result never really looked in doubt, Sweden threatened to score, every time they put the ball in the box, whether from crosses or from set piece situations. And just before Nigeria scored their second, second half substitute Strandberg drew an excellent save from the Nigerian shot stopper, who made sure that the score line stayed 1-0.

Coming into the game, their captain Musa Muhammed promised “We’re going to win,” and that the team “learned a lot from the mistakes we made against Sweden originally.” They surely did that and will be looking to repeat their demolition of Mexico in their opener, when they face El Tri in the final in another Group F rematch.