Senegal 2015: Flying Eagles land in final, whip Ghana 2-0

The Flying Eagles will meet the winners of Senegal and Mali second semifinal match in the final match on Sunday Six-time African U20 Championship winners, the Flying Eagles, on Wednesday confirmed their superiority over the Black Satellites of Ghana in the semi final tie at the ongoing Senegal 2015 African Youth Championship.

A hundred of Nigerian whistle-blowing fans where trilled to football spectacle as the Flying Eagles cruised past the Ghanians at Stade LS Senghor, Dakar.

Nigeria’s Usman Sale beat the Ghanians defenders but his attempts at hitting an early goal was curtailed by onrushing Black Satellites’ goalkeeper, Michael Sai, in the fourth minute of the tensioned soaked tie.

With only five minutes into play, the stadium erupted with songs from the Nigerian fans asking the Flying Eagles to open scoring. Instead, it was the Ghanaians that were close to going ahead, but Nigeria’s safest pair of hands, Joshua Enaholo, was equal to the task.

The MFM FC goalie was again out to test. This time, Enaholo pulled over the bar Yaw Yeboah’s curling free kick in the 11th minute and the game became a ding don’t affair with both sides threatening and trying to neutralise each other’s defence.

Nigeria’s Sale was a major culprit on the day as he lost yet another scoring opportunity, just before Satellites frontman Benjamin Tetteh went wide in the 20th minute.

 Luck however smiled at the Manu Garba lads as Obinna Nwobodo got a surprise goal from a header to shoot Nigeria into the lead with the Nigerian fans chanting ceaselessly.

Nigeria again came close to increasing the tally with Sale combining with Awoniyi up front but the ball came off the line to deny them another goal in the 25th minute.

Moments later, the Ghanians intelligence at taking free kicks almost paid off with Flying Eagles back line ball watching. The Nigerians have the upright to thank as it denied Yeboah an equalizer in the 30th minute. Another incursion by the Ghanians was again stopped by Enaholo.

The Nigerians on the counter took their turn but striker Awoniyi’s head failed to connect Musa Muhammed’s pull out from the right flank. Close to the interval, Ifeanyi Matthew’s free kick missed the net by whiskers as the Nigerian lads led by a lone goal.

The opening 15 minutes of the second period was played in Nigeria’s half as the Ghanians piled up pressure to come back into the game. On several occasions, the Black Satellites were unlucky with their final kick failing them.

 Sale was withdrawn for Ibrahim Abdullahi in the 55th minute to add some pep to the Nigerian attack. The introduction paid off with the Ghanians hacking down Musa Mohammed in the 18-yard box as referee Redqusne Jiyed from Morocco wasted no time in awarding a penalty in the 69th minute.

The Flying Eagles skipper, who is also a specialist in spot kick, stepped up to net the second goal of the night. 

Just after hitting their second goal, the Flying Eagles improved in confidence and they started to play to the Nigerian fans delight at the stadium. Nwobodo took on the Ghanian defenders at exactly the 82nd minute of the game but his final shot was too weak to beat Michael Sai as the tie ended two nil in favour of Nigeria.

The Flying Eagles will meet the winners of Senegal and Mali second semifinal match in the final match on Sunday. Senegal and Mali will play their semifinal match on Thursday.