Nigeria U20 team lost 1-0 to Germany
in the second round of the Fifa U20 World Cup played on Thursday morning at the
Christchurch Stadium.

The game between the team parading
the youngest team to the championship (Nigeria) and the oldest team (Germany)
lived up to its billing – but inability to convert begging chances was the
former’s major undoing.
Joshua Enaholo’s call to duty in the
second minute of the encounter was a strong indication that Frank Wormuth’s
side were not in the game for a jamboree – as they attacked the Africans
massive and in the process won two corner kicks and four free kicks within the
space of 12 minutes.
The Flying Eagles were lucky in the
fifth minute as Onyinye Ndidi almost scored into his own net after his header
narrowly missed the goal post in his attempt to clear Marc Stendera’s corner
kick.
However – after 11 minutes got their
first chance at goal with Taiwo Awoniyi failing to connect from Saviour
Godwin’s low cross after his sizzling run down the left side of the German
backline.
In the 19th minute, Germany took the
lead. Kingsley Sokari who was under pressure lost the ball to Stendera, passed
to Oztunali at the edge of the box to fire a powerful left-footed shot
home to the dismay of the west Africans.
Three minutes later, Hany Mukhtar
failed to double his side’s lead as his effort was saved from Enaholo who was
forced to make four fine saves in the first half.
Mukhtar had another good chance on
the hour after some great skill from Oztunali down the right, but he wasn’t
able to get any real power behind his shot and Enaholo was out to save briskly.
On resumption of the second half,
Manu Garba’s men gushed to action as they sought redemption. They had two free
kicks which were cleared by the towering German defenders who never for once
gave Awoniyi a breathing space.
Flying Eagles – profiting from the
removal of Stendera mounted pressure on Wormuth’s tactically disciplined team,
yet could not find the back of the net. The introduction of Isaac Success
brought back life to the Nigerian team but that could not save them from bowing
out of the competition.
Mali will hope to halt the German
Juggernauts when they face in the last eight of the tournament at the
Christchurch Stadium.
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