The Flying Eagles(U-20 men) of Nigeria on Thursday lost its first fixture at the ongoing 2024 All African Games(AAG); npflupdates.com reports.
The Flying Eagles lost 1-2 to the Ugandan Hippos at the Accra Stadium to drop to the bottom of the table of the Group B.
It was a keenly contested fixture with the Hippos dominating most possessions of the game during the encounter.
Ugandan playmaker, Usama gave the yellow and black jerseys the lead four minutes after the half-hour mark; when he received and buried from close range a long ball from his teammate.
Four minutes after, Nigeria restored parity through Sadiq Isyaka’s strike. And by the end of the first period, it was a stalemate.
The Byekwaso’s boys wrapped up its victory in the 81st minute through a strike by Irinimbabazi. Efforts by the Flying Eagles to restore parity was abortive as the opposition held their positions and stood their grounds.
Note that before the match in quotes relayed by Kawowo Sports, Ugandan coach Byekwaso said:
“We have had good preparations since we entered camp, had practice games in Ethiopia and I believe the players are ready for this tournament.
“We respect Nigeria as superpowers of African football but we don’t fear them. We played against them at AFCON U20 last year and I believe the team has improved a lot since then, so I believe we have what it takes to beat them here.”
Two important takeaways from the Flying Eagles loss to Uganda
First, the Flying Eagles were outplayed by the Ugandans who dominated most possessions throughout the encounter. The Nigerian team lacked creativity in the midfield, with the wingers not doing enough to feed the strikers in the box.
Also read:Â Bosso Include Daga, Bameyi, Nwosu And Other 17 Important Players In All African Games List
Secondly, the Ladan Bosso boys are now bottom of the Group B, and will have to beat the likes of South Sudan, Tunisia and Senegal to stand a chance of qualifying to the knockout stages.
