FIFA Under-20 World Cup: Brazil beat Nigeria 4-2

Nigeria U20 team lost 4-2 to their Brazilian U20 opponents in Group E opening game of the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup played at the Stadium Taranaki New Plymouth.

A goal in each half of the encounter by Flor Da Silva Judivan plus strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Boschilia Gabriel ensured the south Americans – for the fourth time proved their superiority over the Flying Eagles at this level of the competition.



Manu Garba’s side came into the game with the ambition of breaking the Seleção age-longed jinx but were stunned as early as the fourth minute when Gabriel gave his side the lead from close range after been set up by Joao Pedro who made laid a low cross to him.

The African youth champions responded positively six minutes later after Isaac Success rounded goalkeeper Jean and coolly sent the ball into an empty net after a tailor made pass from Musa Yahaya. Earlier on, Kelechi Iheanacho had his fine effort strike the wood work.

With that goal, Nigeria grew in confidence and got their second after 28 minutes courtesy Yahaya who shot high into the net from the edge of the box. Six minutes later, parity was restored as Judivan fired past Joshua Enaholo after Gabriel’s back-heel had passed through the legs of Onyinye Ndidi.

On resumption of the second half, the Flying Eagles were unable to sustain the tempo as they let in two more goals which handed them their first defeat since they were set up two years ago.

First, it was Boschilia whose curly 25-yard shot swerved wildly before clipping the inside of the post on its way in. Then a calamitous error by Enaholo gifts Brazil the points, with Enaholo allowing the ball to squirm through legs and enabling Judivan to smash the ball home from a few centimetres out.

Nigeria’s next game will be against Korea DPR on Thursday June 4, 2015 at the Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth.

(Fifa.com)