Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets rounded off their preparations for the FIFA U17 World Cup with a morale-boosting 4-2 win over fellow world cup team South Korea in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo on Wednesday.
The manner of the win would have been very pleasing for head coach Manu Garba who watched his lads come from 2-1 down to claim a decisive victory.
It was a markedly better display and a massive improvement from the inefficient finishing which marked the 2-1 loss to Sao Paulo FC in another warmup game two days ago.
On the back of this performance, Garba, who was at the helm when Nigeria won a 4th U17 World Cup title in 2013 surely has his work cut out as he attempts to select a final 21-man roster from the 25 players in camp.
The Golden Eaglets were on the front foot from the blast of the whistle and were ahead inside six minutes when Divine Nwachukwu found the net with a well-placed header.
South Korea, though, were let back in when the Eaglets conceded a 10th minute penalty which was expertly dispatched by Oh Jaehyeok.
The Asians were further ahead in the 41st minute through Choi Minseo although their lead lasted exactly a minute before they were pegged back by Olakunle Olusegun which ensured both teams went into the break on level terms.
A dominant Golden Eaglets missed a flurry of chances to extend their lead before Olakunle Olusegun scored his second goal of the game with a well-placed 88th-minute effort.
Charles Etim completed the coup de grace with a curlier into the top corner in added time to secure a win that adds a spring in their steps ahead of the tournament which kicks off on 26 October.
Nigeria are record winners of the tournament with five titles achieved in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and most recently in 2015.
The Golden Eaglets are returning to the 24-nation tournament after missing the last edition in 2017 which was held in India and won by England.
They open their campaign in Group B against Hungary in Goiania on 26 October before playing Ecuador three days later at the same venue and then rounding off their group stage against Australia On 1 November in Brasilia.
