Friendly: Golden Eaglets, Derby Academy Share Spoils
By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria U17 national team were forced to a 1-1 draw by Derby Academy in an entertaining friendly encounter at the Sunrise Football Pitch, Abuja on Friday.
The match provided the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions with another opportunity to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the upcoming WAFU B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.
Derby Academy started brightly on home soil, taking control of the early exchanges and putting the Eaglets defence under pressure as they searched for an early breakthrough.
The Nigerian youngsters, however, stood firm and gradually grew into the contest. The Eaglets began to dominate possession in midfield, combining quick passing with swift transitions into attack as they sought to unsettle the Derby defence.
Despite the attacking efforts from both sides, neither team could find the breakthrough before the interval, with the first half ending goalless.
The tempo increased after the restart as both teams produced an end-to-end contest, with chances coming at both ends.
Derby Academy eventually broke the deadlock on the hour mark after one of their attackers was brought down inside the penalty area. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and the resulting penalty was calmly converted to put the home side ahead.
The Eaglets responded almost immediately, stepping up the pressure in search of an equaliser.
Their persistence paid off seven minutes later when they found the back of the net to restore parity and bring the game level at 1-1.
Both teams continued to push for a winner in the closing stages, but neither could produce the decisive goal as the entertaining encounter ended in a draw.
The Golden Eaglets are using their preparatory games to build towards the WAFU B U-17 Championship, which kicks off in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Saturday, October 10.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside Côte d’Ivoire and Niger Republic, with the Eaglets scheduled to begin their campaign on October 14.
