TheCable

The Golden Eaglets started their campaign for a sixth U17 FIFA World Cup title with a dramatic comeback in the first group B game against Hungary on Saturday night.

The Manu Garba boys netted three late goals to come charging back to beat Hungary 4-2 to reinforce the favourite tag given to them ahead of the 2019 edition of the youth championship.

As it happened when both teams last met at the championship – the inaugural edition in China 34 years ago – Hungary drew the first blood in the first three minutes, as Gyorgy Komaromi took full advantage of poor defensive organisation to slot past Daniel Jinadu in a goal for Nigeria in the third minute of play.

The Eaglets, in search of a sixth world title, created chance after chance and eventually drew level when Samson Tijani, the captain, sent goalkeeper Kristjan Hegyi the wrong way from the spot after Wisdom Ubani had been upended in the box.

Tijani’s equaliser was Nigeria’s 150th goal in the history of the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Yet, the Europeans would again go into the lead, when Samuel Major placed the ball clinically beyond Jinadu from a counter attack as the Nigerian defence was again caught napping.

The five-time champions were down 2-1 by the end of the first half at Estadio Olimpico, Goiania.

The Eaglets went gun blazing in the second stanza, dictating the pace and creating goal scoring opportunities, but poor finishing from Ubani, Tijani, Ibrahim Sa’id and Olakunle Olusegun delayed the turn-around.

Tijani, who won man of the match award, said: “I really feel grateful to God and thank my players for putting more efforts for us to equalize and come back to win the game.

“And for the fans in Nigeria, I just want to thank them and that they should continue to support us. So, that we can do well as we promised that we will in this tournament.

“I just believed in my team mates that we are capable of doing it and they believed in themselves that everything will work for us and it did.”

The introduction of Akinkunmi Amoo and Ibrahim Jabaar invigorated the Nigerian side, and in the 79th minute, defender Usman Ibrahim was on the alert to head the ball into the net from a corner by Ibrahim Sa’id as keeper Hegyi made a poor job of coming out to claim the ball.

Two minutes later, it was 3-2 after Ibrahim Jabaar’s dazzling run ended with a pull-out from the left that defender Oluwatimilehin Adeniyi headed past Hegyi even as Donat Orosz tried in vain to stop the contact.

Tijani made the scoreline safe for a hard working Nigeria side when in the 85th minute, his angled free kick from 23 yards out was deflected by the head of Botond Balogh to wrong foot Hegyi.

In the other match of the opening day, host nation Brazil pounded Canada 4-1 in Brasilia.

Nigeria will go up against Ecuador in their next match on Tuesday at the same venue, with victory certain to take the Eaglets to the Round of 16 ahead of their final Group B encounter with Australia.