Golden Eaglets’ new comer, Jacob Njoku produced a man of the match performance with four lively goals to break the resolve of First Best Farmers Football Club in Enugu; as the National Under-17 team romped to an 8-3 win at the practice pitch of the U. J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar on Thursday.
The match earlier scheduled for Wednesday was postponed due to heavy downpour but it was the Golden Eaglets that put their best foot forward after FIFA Licensed Referee Mike Ushie signalled the start.
Njoku scored a first half hat-trick as well as the last goal of the match which was watched by an enthusiastic crowd including Hon. Dr. Mrs Ify Nwaobosi, the founder and owner of FBF.
It should be said that Golden Eaglets actually profited from the errors of the FBF in the earlier part of the first half when they conceded an own goal albeit due to some pressure from the opposing attacking line. They would soon concede a penalty kick which was perfectly converted by Isaac Success.
Those two goals were a rude awakening to the FBF who early this year held the Coach John Obu-led Flying Eagles’ World Cup to a 1-1 draw at the Neros Sports Stadium in Nanka ; and such commendable performance must have given then the hope of yet another commanding show against the Golden Eaglets.
But not on a day Njoku was peerless as he combined beautifully with the duo of Taiwo Awoniyi and Success. He scored his first, second goal and third goal within the last 20 minutes of the first half. While Awoniyi and Musa Yahaya added the other two goals for the Golden Eagles, Richard Ifeanyi who came as a substitute for Gerrard Okafor and Onyekachi Nweke scored for FBF.
In the second half, FBF’s coach Romanus Orjinta, a former defensive midfielder deployed more men at the back to keep the Golden Eaglets at bay as the two teams looked equally matched.
Then FBF got another goal from the penalty box following a ball handling in Golden Eaglets’ box and Emeka Okereke swiftly dispatched Uzoho Odinaka towards the end of the match. Yet Njoku managed to put another goal behind goalkeeper Obiorah Ugochukwu to end the 11-goal rally.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Nwaobosi said she was impressed with the performance of both teams in spite of the fact that her wards ended on the losing side, saying the experience would put FBF in good stead in the future.
“Of course I have to praise the efforts of the two teams, “said Nwaobosi who is the Secretary to Idemili North Local Government Council in Anambra State. “ This was the first time we lost by such a high margin and I’m really surprised.
“But that notwithstanding, I want to commend the good job being done by the technical crew of the Golden Eaglets and we wish them all the best in their forth coming competition in the UAE,” she added.
