U-20s miss out on win over Nigeria.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Under 20 footballers will leave Abuja this morning (Wednesday) with their heads held high after producing what was undoubtedly their best performance of their far east tour with a 2-2 draw with Nigeria’s National Under 20 team at the Abuja National Stadium on Tuesday.
Ahead 2-1 and holding off everything that the Nigerians came with in the second half, T&T conceded in the 78th minute in controversial manner as goalkeeper Glenroy Samuel pushed Efosa Ikimi’s header unto the underside of crossbar and Nigerian referee Babatunde Irukora awarded the hosts the goal adjudging that the ball had crossed the line as it bounced. The assistant referee stood his ground and the referee, who didn’t bother to consult his assistant ruled the goal instantly for coach Samson Siasia’s team.
Irukora would later tell midfielder Sean De Silva after the match: “Why are you making it a problem… don’t worry it’s just a friendly match.”
For skipper Leston Paul and company though, the match was much more than just a friendly and a victory over the runners up of the last FIFA Under 20 World Cup would have looked much better in the record books. But the draw would still realized as a fitting end to what has been a grueling 21-day tour for the T&T contingent.
“Every match our game is better and better and now even our results got better. But today I thought we should have won the game and maybe the referee helped them with their second goal. But we are still missing chances and making mistakes at the back which cost us,” Vranes told TTFF Media after the match.
“Overall I was pleased and it was the kind of match we wanted. To have a 2-2 result against Nigeria in Nigeria means something good for us. Now we have to move on and try to get better before Egypt. This result was a great boost for us and I think the players will believe more in themselves now. We created a lot of chances and I was pleased with that. We will try to strengthen and improve the team now,” he added.
T&T enjoyed a good start to proceedings against a Nigerian team that was skippered by Atletico Madrid defender Udoa Kingsley. But he had to stabilize his back line which appeared shaky in the early stages and were fortunate not to be punished in the second minute when Jean Luc Rochford intercepted a ball deep in Nigeria’s half and spread wide for De Silva but his powerful drive went inches wide of the far post. It was just the start T&T needed as they settled quickly and began to take the game to the homeside.
On eight minutes T&T were unlucky not to have gone ahead when Juma Clarence picked up on a loose ball and fired a shot from 20 yards out and with goalie AjiBoye Dele in no man’s land, the ball crashed off the cross bar and into play but Lougheed didn’t react quickly enough to make use of the rebound.
On 15 minutes though, Nigeria, dubbed their "Flying Eagles" got what they needed to shake off their uncertain start. An incoming left side ball went straight at defender Mikeil Williams who was adjuged to have used his hand to bring the ball under control. Salimi Gbolahan made an easy conversion of the resulting penalty to put Nigeria up 1-0.
T&T ‘keeper Glenroy Samuel would be called upon to make some timely saves as Nigeria, comprising of a bunch of strong and athletic individuals, surged forward in spurts as they tried to impress the 1,500 odd fans and coach Siasia looking on.
On the half hour mark though, they suffered a setback as T&T drew level. Lougheed broke his scoring drought when he ran on to a long ball from Samuel which caught the defence napping and kept his composure to clinically direct the ball into the far corner from the right of the box for a 1-1 scoreline.
Lougheed also slammed home from close range but his effort was ruled offside in the 36th and moments before half time Samuel came up big time with consecutive saves. The first saw him going at full length to push away Afolai Abdulwaheed’s header from the six yard and then Chubojor Okoronkwo powered his effort which seemed to be heading into the roof of the net but Samuel was at his best once again.
Clarence, who got the start up front alongside Lougheed was left to look at the skies in dismay again on 41 minutes when he won possession atop the box but could only look on as his effort was cleared on the line by a scrambling Kingsley with the goalie out of position.
The Nigerians were then shocked on 49 minutes when Uriah Bentick played one over from the right at perfect height for Rochford to head powerfully into the far left corner past a hapless Dele. Bentick had collected after De Silva’s free kick from the right came way over on the far side.
Ahead 2-1, T&T were prepared to drop off but were guilty of doing that too early as the Nigerians, stronger in physique and more athletic than the T&T players, began to dominate possession and surged forward in numbers in search of the equalizer. But the T&T backline of Daneil Cyrus, Williams, Bentick, Curtis Gonzales and Jevon Morris held firm throughout while Samuel was a tower of strength between the uprights.
T&T looked for the odd break but then the controversial moment arrived in the 78th minute.
A cross from the right by Uchebe Okechukwu was met by substitute Efosa Ikimi and he got up well to head goalwards but Samuel was equal to the task, pushing the ball onto the underside off the crossbar before Irukora ruled it as goal for Nigeria even as his assistant stood his ground.
Replays on the stadium big screen left the home fans with an uncertain feeling as to whether the ball had crossed the goal line. Nonetheless, the scores stood at 2-2 and both teams left the field after shaking hands to a well contested encounter.
T&T team
Glenroy Samuel, Uriah Bentick, Curtis Gonzales, Mikeil Williams, Daneil Cyrus, Jevon Morris, Leston Paul (Marvin Manswell 90th), Sean De Silva (Kevin Molino 84th), Trent Lougheed (Daniel Joseph 69th), Jean Luc Rochford (Sherron Joseph 71st), Juma Clarence (Qian Grosvenor 63rd) (Marcus Joseph 90th)
Subs not used – Aubrey David, Andre Marchan.
Nigeria: Siasia unimpressed with Flying Eagles.
By: Ibraheem A. Fatai (AllAfrica.Com).
Sequel to the 2-2 draw the Flying Eagles played against the Under-20 team of Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium on Tuesday, team handler, Samson Siasia, has expressed disappointment with his team's performance, saying he was very unimpressed.
Siasia said the disappointing display of his boys was as a result of their inability to play to instructions.
According to the former Super Eagles star, there are lots of things to change in the team.
"There is room for improvement. We have got to make a lot of changes from defence to goalkeeper and all that to have the right players.
"From what I have seen, it is not all that bad, because we didn't lose. But we didn't play as we expected. We just have to go and watch this video and make changes until we find the right players that can play to instruction.
On whether the current players he paraded in the match are good for the Under-20 World Cup slated for October in Egypt, former Dream Team Coach said the team will undergo a lot of changes.
"Hopefully when we get the right players that will play to instruction, what and how we want them to play, then we won't get into any problem. We just have to make some changes and guide the right players to scale through. They didn't play to instruction and that is my problem. We gave them cheap goals," he said.
Speaking further, the football tactician said he hoped to bring in foreign-based players and blend them with the home-based players who distinguish themselves in training so as to assemble a strong team that will be good enough to give Nigeria an enviable representation in Egypt.
He appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the team, saying the team was only put together a day before the friendly match. "But that is not an excuse not to play well."