Arsenal-Bound Nwakali, Wolfsburg Trainee Osimhen On Song In Flying Eagles Win

Defending champions Nigeria have advanced to the third round of the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifiers following their 3-1 aggregate win over Burundi on Saturday afternoon.

In just the third minute, CS Sfaxien trainee Lukman Zakari would have put the Flying Eagles in front but missed from close range.

And the Young Swallows had to be vigilant to prevent Victor Osimhen from scoring in the seventh minute, clearing his effort off the line, after he was fed by Kingsley Michael.

On 31 minutes, Chukwudi Agor thought he had scored his second goal for the Flying Eagles but his effort was ruled offside, after tapping into an empty net, then six minutes later the ASJ Academy midfielder saw his shot saved.

The scoreboard was reading goalless when both teams went into the break, but the Nigerian goalie was untested for a large part.

Early in the second half, Zakari’s header went inches off target but the deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute when Victor Osimhen converted a spot kick after Chukwueze was fouled by the opponents.

On 80 minutes, Kelechi Nwakali doubled Nigeria’s tally, scoring a sumptuous free kick, before Ndikumana Magloire pulled a goal back for the visitors two minutes from time.

At the start of the game, a minute silence was observed in honour of deceased Nigerian coaches Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel