AYC Qualifier: Flying Eagles Do A Double Over Tanzania

Flying Eagles trounced Tanzania U20 4-1 in Kaduna on Saturday to qualify for the third round of the 2015 African Youth Championship qualifiers on a 6-1 aggregate.

They will face the winners of the second round match between Lesotho and Angola in August to determine who qualifies for the AYC in Senegal in March.

Hosts Nigeria took the lead after just
seven minutes through Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Muazam’ whose low shot beat goalkeeper Hamad Joma.

However, Tanzania drew level after 17 minutes, when Banda Hassan curled a free kick from outside the box beyond Flying Eagles goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo.

Musa Yahaya put Nigeria in front again in the 34th minute moments after Taiwo Awoniyi threw away a sitter and Wilfred Ndidi’s header off a corner missed target narrowly.

Two minutes later, Awoniyi made up for his several misses with a third goal for the Flying Eagles, who continued to control proceedings.

‘Mu-azam’ would have made it 4-1 three minutes to half time but he was selfish and rather than pass the ball for a free teammate, he chose to shoot at goal and missed the mark.

Substitute Chidera Eze made the game safe for the Nigeria U20 in the 69th minute with the Flying Eagles fourth goal.

But just two minutes later, Enaholo pulled off a big save when he tipped for a corner a goal-bound shot.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Bernard Bulbwa and Abdullahi Alfa all had openings to increase the tally but poor finishing denied them.

Flying Eagles vs Tanzania
Joshua Enaholo – Musa Muhammed (skipper), Mustapha Abdullahi, Wilfred Ndidi, Abubakar Aliyu – Akinjide Idowu, Ifeanyi Matthew, Abdullahi Alfa, Musa Yahaya (Bernard Bulbwa 62) – Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Mu-azam’ (Kelechi Iheanacho 46), Taiwo Awoniyi (Chidera Eze 62)