- Highlights: Mexico v. Nigeria - FIFA U17 World Cup Chile 2015
- Highlights: Mali v. Belgium - FIFA U17 World Cup Chile 2015
- Nigeria defeats hard fighting Mexico 4-2.
- Top Scores in U-17 World Cup to Date
- Kanu Commends Golden Eaglets After Mexico Victory
- Golden Eaglets’ Okonkwo Dedicates “Best Ever”Goal To Mother
- Cortes rekindles memories of Maradona & Messi
Highlights: Mexico v. Nigeria - FIFA U17 World Cup Chile 2015
Highlights: Mali v. Belgium - FIFA U17 World Cup Chile 2015
Nigeria defeat hard fighting Mexico 4-2.
Do not let the score line fool you; it was a tightly contested affair at the Estadio Municipal Ester Roa. Mexico took the game to the free scoring Nigeria’s golden Eaglets in the early period of the match creating several scoring chances.
The relentless pressure paid off in the 7th minute, when an in-swinging cross found Kevin Mangana unmarked, who wasted no time putting the ball beyond the reach of goal Keeper, Akpan Udor for the curtain raiser. The Mexican could have doubled the lead but the chances created were wasted. They were made to pay for the wasted opportunities as Skipper Kelechi Nwakali restored parity by converting a well taken free kick in the 35th minute after an Eaglet player was brought down.
Nigeria took the lead in the 43rd minute, courtesy of a powerful screamer by Orji Okwonkwo. He embarked on a dashing run from the left flank to the centre, just outside the Mexican box area, placing himself at a vantage position to hit a powerful shot that sailed straight into the net for one of the best goals of the night. .
The second half witnessed the Mexican continuing the way they started, pressing the Golden Eaglets to their half. They say “cometh the hour, commeth the man”, Diego Cortes stood up to be counted. He scored a goal arguably the best of the tournament, almost the carbon copy of Diego Maradona's epic goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. He picked the ball inside the Nigerian half, little distance from the center circle, embarked on a mesmerizing solo run like a hot knife through butter, sliced through the Nigerian defence, leaving five players in a heap, straight into the box and calmly slotted the ball beyond goal keeper Akpan Udoh for the equalizer in the 59th minute.
Kelechi Nwakali placed a long splitting pass through the Mexican defence to Osinachi Ebere in the 67th minute. His low shot beat Romero for the third goal of the match.
The contest was put beyond the Mexican in the 83rd minute. Skipper J. Esquivel pushed down Golden Eaglet’s John Lazarus for a needless penalty paving the way for Victor Osimhen wearing jersey no 9 jersey to score his 9th of the Competition. He calmly converted the spot kick sending the Romero the wrong way thereby, equaling the joint all-time record held by Florent Sinama Pongolle of France (2001) and Souleymane Coulibaly of Ivory Coast (2011).
The match could be regarded as the game of the Tournament to date. Nigeria now proceeds to Vina del Mar to meet Mali for an all-African final on Sunday. Mali earlier defeated Belgium by 3-1. The Play-off for third place will feature Belgium going against Mexico at the same venue.
What the two Coaches have to say after the match.
"We know that it would be a tough game, the toughest game in this World Cup. Both teams had chances. Unfortunately we didn’t score, Nigeria did. This was the difference. But that is football. After our equaliser we thought we controlled the game but then Nigeria scored surprisingly. We wanted to reach the final but we failed. Of course the team is sad but we have to focus now on the third place match,"
Mario Arteaga, Mexico coach
"It was a difficult match in which both teams did their best. We give credit to Mexico because of their performance and its level of play. We are happy to be in the final and have the chance to defend the world title. Mali is a good team, Africa's champion. This is going to be an interesting challenge,"
Emmanuel Amuneke, Nigeria coach
1985 - China
8-Marcel Witeczek (Germany)
5-William (Brazil)4-Bella Momoh (Nigeria)
1987 - Canada
5-Yuri Nikiforov (Russia)
5-Moussa Traore (Guinea)4-Sergei Arutyunian (Russia)
4-Philip Osondu (Nigeria)
1989 - Scotland
3-Fode Camara (Guinea)
3-Tulipa (Portugal)3-Khaled Jasem (Bahrain)
1991 - Italy
4-Adriano (Brazil)
4-Nii Odartey Lamptey (Ghana)3-Jorge Toledano (Mexico)
1993 - Japan
6-Wilson Oruma (Nigeria)
5-Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)5-Manuel Neira (Chile)
5-Peter Anosike (Nigeria)
1995 - Ecuador
5-Daniel Allsopp (Australia)
5-Mohamed Al Kathiri (Oman)4-Fernando Gatti (Argentina)
1997 - Egypt
7-David (Spain)
5-Hashim Saleh (Oman)4-Seydou Keita (Mali)
1999 - New Zealand
7-Ismael Addo (Ghana)
4-Waleed Rasoul (Qatar)4-Leonardo (Brazil)
2001 - Trinidad & Tobago
9-Florent Sinama Pongolle (France)
5-Femi Opabunmi (Nigeria)4-Caetano (Brazil)
2003 - Finland
5-Cesc Fabregas (Spain)
5-Carlos Hidalgo (Colombia)5-Manuel Curto (Portugal)
2005 - Peru
5-Carlos Vela (Portugal)
4-Nuri Sahin (Turkey)4-Tevfik Kose (Turkey)
2007 - Korea Republic
7-Macauley Chrisantus (Nigeria)
6-Ransford Osei (Ghana)5-Toni Kroos (Germany)
2009 - Nigeria
5-Borja (Spain)
5-Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria)5-Sebastian Gallegos (Uruguay)
2011 - Mexico
9-Souleymane Coulibaly (Cote d’Ivoire)
6-Samed Yesil (Germany)5-Adryan (Brazil)
2013 - UAE
7-Valmir Berisha (Sweden)
6-Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria)6-Boschilia (Brazil)
Kanu Commends Golden Eaglets After Mexico Victory
Former Golden Eaglets and Super Eagles star Nwankwo Kanu has congratulated the Nigerian U-17 team for their 4-2 victory over Mexico early Friday morning which ensures they will play against Mali in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Sunday.
Kanu in 1993 was a key member of the Golden Eaglets that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Japan with Fanny Amun as coach of the team.
"Thank you all for your support and congratulations to our Golden Eaglets. Congrats Amuneke and your coaching crew. Up Nigeria," Kanu who starred at Japan 93 tweeted.
Mali defeated Belgium in the other semi-final to set up Sunday's all-African final.
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Golden Eaglets’ Okonkwo Dedicates “Best Ever”Goal To Mother
Golden Eaglets striker Orji Okonkwo has described his goal in the 4-2 FIFA U-17 World Cup semi-final victory over Mexico as his best ever.
Okonkwo had played minor part in the tournament he started as replacement for Funsho Bamgboye who was suspended after two yellow cards."I have never scored a goal like this before and you cannot practice this kind of goal," Okwonkwo told the Nigeria Football Federation. "The goal I scored against Mexico today is a wonderful goal and I'm dedicating the goal to my mum who has been there for me; challenging me to be the best.
"My dad died last year; I remember him too but it is my mum that has been there for me all this while. I thank her so much."
Okonkwo scored thrice, including a goal against Mali on April 21, 2014, at the sub-regional West African Football Union (WAFU) B Tournament in Togo where the Golden Eaglets finished third behind Benin and Togo.
"I want to thank coach Emmanuel Amuneke for pushing me so hard," said the player, who was sanctioned and kept out of the squad for months prior to the African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic.
“He is a nice person who wants the best for us. Before the match, he called me and said: 'Orji, this is your chance, you can't afford to let yourself and Nigerians down' and when I scored, I kept saying 'coach, coach, coach’. I’m grateful to him.”
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Cortes rekindles memories of Maradona & Messi
The 21,000 spectators gathered in Conception’s Estadio Municipal Ester Roa briefly gasped in the 59th minute of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 semi-final between Mexico and Nigeria. The breathtaking spectacle they witnessed was a fantastic individual goal from Diego Cortes to earn El Tri an equaliser at 2-2 and allow them to dream of reaching the final.
The midfielder picked up the ball on the right touchline and began an incredible solo run, dodging past five defenders as if they were slalom poles before finishing his move with a low shot. “I collected the pass, set off and just looked out for the gaps all the time,” he later explained to FIFA.com. “All of a sudden I was in front of goal and scored. Obviously I checked to see whether any of my team-mates were free but nobody was,” he said of his moment in the spotlight. “I don’t do that often, but it’s a great feeling.”
His coach Mario Arteaga was also full of praise after the final whistle as he discussed this remarkable strike, but admitted to being somewhat surprised, given that dribbling is not traditionally among the midfielder’s key strengths.
One thing that is certain, however, is that Cortes is among the fastest players in Mexico’s U-17 squad. He proved this against hosts Chile in the Round of 16, beginning an attack on the right before sprinting into the penalty area to meet a cross with a powerful strike and wrap up a 4-1 win with his first goal of the tournament.
I collected the pass, set off and just looked out for the gaps all the time. All of a sudden I was in front of goal.Diego Cortes on his wonder goal
Unfortunately Cortes was not in the mood to celebrate his latest breakthrough in the maze of tunnels under the stadium a week later, as the North Americans went on to concede another two goals to Nigeria in their semi-final to end their dreams of a third FIFA U-17 World Cup title. “Although I’m obviously disappointed, we can be proud of having given it our all.”
In a rematch of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013 final - a game Nigeria won 3-0 - both sides exchanged blows from the outset, with the Mexicans taking the lead only for the Golden Eaglets to strike back twice before half-time. The Africans ultimately proved their superior stamina by finding the target twice more after Cortes’s acclaimed equaliser.
Mexico’s defeat does not change the fact that the young midfielder’s effort has a very good chance of being named the best goal of this FIFA U-17 World Cup. It even evoked memories of Diego Maradona, who began his own solo run against England in 1986 from the halfway line and, like Cortes, danced past five defenders before slotting the ball into the net. Lionel Messi has, of course, managed a couple of similar solo goals in the time since.
Despite his disappointment at the semi-final result, Cortes had to smile when mention is made of these two Argentinian superstars. While he admitted that he thought of El Pibe de Oro’s famous Mexico '86 strike while celebrating his goal, “he isn’t my idol,” he quickly added. “Of course I admire all great footballers and watch videos of them from time to time, but my role model is Messi.”
Nonetheless, this encounter marked the end of the road for El Tri, who were aiming to take at least a silver medal home from South America after lifting the trophy in 2011 and reaching the final two years ago. “Playing at a World Cup is an experience to treasure for life,” Cortes reflected.
“You never know whether you’ll get to play at another one. Unfortunately our title dreams are now over, but we still have a chance to take home a medal. We’ll now give it everything against Belgium so that we can end the tournament on a high note.”
FIFA
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