Nigeria’s Flying Eagles beat their Ghanaian counterparts 2-0 in a second friendly match played in Tema on Wednesday.
The first test match between the two sides heading to the 2015 African Youth Championship (AYC) in Senegal had ended 2-2 in Accra on Monday.
According to a statement by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu, late on Wednesday, the match was as it was in the first match.
Wednesday’s match was one of two halves, with the Black Satellites dominating the first half.
The Flying Eagles regrouped in the second half to make the most of their chances and win the game.
“We had a much better second half after our pep talk at half time. It was also a better performance for my team than what we showed in the first match,” Flying Eagles’ coach Manu Garba said after the match.
“Ghana are also a very good team and I tip them to go past Group B at the AYC.”
The Black Satellites coach, Silas Tetteh, said the Flying Eagles were a very good team who gave his team a very good test.
“They are a compact team who showed very good understanding, meaning they have been playing together for some time now.
“It was good to play against such a team,” he said.
“But in spite of the fact that we lost, we also gave a good account of ourselves as we finalise our preparations for the championship.”
During the match, Flying Eagles skipper Musa Muhammed had put away a penalty kick in the 70th minute, after a Ghanaian defender handled the ball inside his team’s penalty area.
Substitute Ifeanyi Matthew doubled the Flying Eagles’ lead in stoppage time, when he finished off a flowing attack with a powerful shot from the top of the box.
First-half substitute Bernard Bulwa ought to have given Nigeria the lead after 65 minutes, when he beat the offside trap by Ghana and came face-to-face with goalkeeper Muntawakilu Seidu.
But Seidu blocked the winger’s shot at point-blank range.
Bulbwa also threw away another clear-cut chance in stoppage time after Wasiu Jimoh’s long ball found Taiwo Awoniyi, who set up the dribbling winger.
Nigeria’s other big opening was in the 67th minute, when Ifeanyi Ifeanyi’s shot from inside the box came off the post.
However, the first half belonged to Ghana, who made wholesale changes to the squad who played the first game on Monday.
Tetteh had said he wanted to see as many players as possible before the team fly out on a training tour of Turkey on Friday.
The sustained pressure on the Flying Eagles was underlined by the fact that they recorded four bookings in the first half. (NAN)
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