Super Eagles play draw against Abuja amateur team

The Super Eagles test match against Abuja Football College club ended in a draw.

 

The Super Eagles played its first test match since returning to camp after qualifying for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

The Eagles played against an amateur side, Abuja Football College, on Thursday at the training pitch of the National Stadium in Abuja. The game ended in a 3-3 draw with the college boys giving the national team a shocker.

After the match, the Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, simply said the team is still a ‘work in progress’.

The game started at about 7:20a.m., and the national team which started with the home based first eleven, save for skipper, Chigozie Agbim, quickly went into business, dominating play, and restricting the college boys to their side of the pitch. Dan Akpeyi, who was in goal for the Super Eagles, hardly had a feel of the ball before the national team opened its goal account in the fifth minute.

Right back, Kwambe Solomon, who had an impressive game floated a free kick that was neatly converted by Sunday Mba. The Eagles continued their dominance of the game but were unable to increase the tally until the 35th minute when a long shot by Francis Benjamin from about 40 yards rolled into the net of the sprawling Abuja Football College goalie.

In the 43rd minute, Ubale Mannir made it three for the Eagles and from then on, the thinking was that there will be a rain of goals for the national team.

 

The second half

The Super Eagles started the second half with an entirely new team. Chigozie Agbim, Papa Idris, Zango Umar, Ejike Uzoenyi and Gambo Mohammed all came in for the Eagles. But it was the more determined Football College side that got the opening goal of the half when John Ajaiyi ran past a tentative Idris to score the first goal for his side in the 63rd minute.

In the 78th minute, Kingsley Olieh’s fierce shot was pushed back into play by Agbim for on-rushing John Abraham to get his side’s second goal. The third goal was in the same fashion as Agbim fumbled a back pass from Zango for on-rushing Saiq Umar to lob home.

Football College Coach, Ahmed Ahmed, said after the game that his wards were overwhelmed in the first half by the intimidating central defence pair of Godfrey Oboabona and Azubuikie Eguwueke.

“When they were removed in the second half, I told my boys to go through the central as their replacements were less troublesome and intimidating. But I know that the national team merely took the game easy with us, but we also gave them a good fight.”

The national team is expected to file out again on Saturday for another test match at the training pitch of the National Stadium, before the team handlers select the players that will travel to the U.S. for the friendly match against Venezuela.