Flying Eagles Beat Hosts Tanzania 2-0

Nigeria defeated Tanzania 2-0 in the first leg of their 2015 African Youth Championship (AYC) second round qualifier in Dar es Salam on Sunday.

Musa Yahaya and Taiwo Awoniyi gave Nigeria the much-deserved lead, going into the second leg.

“This win away from home is very, very good for us going into the return leg match in Nigeria,” coach Manu Garba told reporters after the match.

“Tanzania also showed they are very good side, but they will have to work on their finishing.

“Overall it was the better team that won even though I was not completely satisfied with the final 15 minutes of the game as we st back in our defence.”

Both sides progressed into the break with the tie settled at stalemate, despite the visitors enjoying most of possession and threatening to score often times.

Ex-Golden Eagles Striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, Celebrates Goal.
Ex-Golden Eagles Striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, Celebrates Goal.

Yahaya tapped home Eagles’s opener from the near post four minutes after the break from skipper Musa Muhammed assist.

Kelechi Iheanacho, who came on for Alhassan Ibrahim, was close to doubling the lead on 54 minutes, but goalkeeper Peter Manyika denied the Manchester City teenage striker.

Flying Eagles goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo kept out the host through his superb save in the 67th minute and came up with another terrific effort in the closing stages of the game.

Awoniyi finished off the contest eight minutes from the dead, holding off his marker before placing the ball beyond the onrushing goalkeeper, Manyika.

Every effort by the Tanzanians to reduce the deficit came to nothing as the visitors held on for a 100% start to their 2015 AYC qualification campaign.