Wins for Eagles, Flying Eagles

Wins for Eagles, Flying Eagles

The Super Eagles toiled to a 1-0 win over the Lone Star of Liberia in the only match of the day as the 2011 West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup competition got underway in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Wednesday.

Ekigho Ehiosun, who also stars for the country’s Olympic team, scored the only goal with a poacher’s touch 24 minutes into the first half to snatch the three points in a tournament that has now been reduced to a six-nation affair.

Mali and Senegal have withdrawn from the competition at the last hour for logistics reasons and Gambia and Togo were still being expected on Friday.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Samson Siasia has replaced two Enyimba FC players, Valentine Nwabili and Bernard Okorowanta with U-23 team left-back Usman Amoda and Sunshine Stars’ forward Ifeanyi Okoye.

Elsewhere, and despite being wracked by fatigue and jet lag, the national Under-20 men’s team, Flying Eagles, kept its winning by defeating host Korea Republic 1-0 at the beginning of the Suwon U-20 Invitational Tournament on Thursday.

The tournament in Korea Republic’s second city is being attended by four countries that have qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup that is to be staged in Colombia, 29th July to 20th August.

Defender Gbenga Arokoyo scored from a corner kick in the 76th minute of a highly competitive game inside the Suwon World Cup Stadium, and the hosts could not find a way round the brilliant goalkeeper Danjuma Paul.

Also on Thursday, New Zealand lost 0-1 to Uruguay in the other match of the day at the invitational.

The Flying Eagles overcame several hurdles to lift their sixth African title in South Africa, including having to prosecute the tournament with 18 players after two were dropped for technical reasons and Holland-based Ahmed Musa could only play the opening match against Ghana.

After arriving in Lagos on Monday afternoon, the team had to travel to Korea aboard Emirates Airline the following, with even three players less. Striker Stanley Okoro had to head to Spain to join his club, Almeria, same as defender Terna Suswam who was on the plane to Portugal to return to Vitoria Setubal.

Defender Chima Oluocha lost his father on the day of the final match against Cameroon in Johannesburg and was released to go for the burial rites.
Aba.

Due to the unrest in Libya, CAF has reduced the fixture to a one-leg affair and the victor in Aba on Sunday will reach the money-spinning league stage of Africa’s prime club competition.