FIFA U20 World Cup: Nigeria Defeat Dominican Republic in Group D Opener

• Nigeria defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in their opening Group game at the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup
• The Flying Eagles had to come from behind to win the tie, having conceded as early as the 21st minute of the encounter
• An own goal by Guillermo De Pena pulled one back for the Africans before Samson Lawal scored the winner in the second half

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the FIFA U-20 World Cup opener.

It was Group D’s opening fixture as the African side claimed the precious win at the Estadio Malvinas Argentina in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Dominicans opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute following a dangerous tackle by Benjamin Frederick inside the box.

The Flying Eagles equalised after Guillermo De Pena headed a long throw-in into his own net.

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The vital winner came barely 20 minutes to the end when impressive Nigerian midfielder Samson Lawal found the back of the net in a spectacular fashion.

The Flying Eagles will face Italy next in their Group D tie before playing Brazil in the last group game.

NFF reacts

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mohammed Sanusi, praised the performance of the boys. He said via Complete Sports:

“We are happy with the three points though we wanted the boys to win by a higher margin as goals advantage do matter along the line in a competition such as this, Sanusi told thenff.com.

“The next two matches will be much tougher and I expect the Flying Eagles to also show sterner stuff.”

Players to watch out for

Sports Brief earlier reported that Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland are all superstars who have emerged from the Under-20 World Cup, and the 2023 edition is set to produce a new set of stars.

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Italian star, Tommaso Baldanzi, an attacking midfielder with a flair for the spectacular, has had a breakout season in Serie A for Empoli, scoring four goals, including the now-famous winner against Inter at San Siro.

Also, Kevin Paredes of the United States, who has already made 22 Bundesliga appearances for Wolfsburg since joining the German club in January 2022, is also a player to watch.