U-17 World Cup: Nigeria, Angola grab last-16 berth

DAY four of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament in Brazil saw three nations – hosts Brazil and Angola in Group A, and Nigeria in Group B – qualify for the last 16 after securing their second victory in a row.

The two African teams were the first to procure a berth in the next round, and both left it late before doing so.

Trailing 2-1 to Ecuador with five minutes to go, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, in a repeat of the scenario played out in their opening match against Hungary, managed to turn things around completely, scoring the winner in the 89th minute in their 3-2 win.

As for the Palanquinhas of Angola, they waited until the fourth minute of stoppage time to claim all three points against Canada, David Muale Nzanza slamming the ball home from close range to finish 2-1.

Much to the delight of the fans in attendance at the Estadio Bezerrao in Brasilia, the 10-man hosts also booked a spot in the knockout phase later in the evening, defeating New Zealand 3-0, via goals from Kaio Jorge, Talles Magno and Diego.

Elsewhere, Hungary and Australia both kept their chances alive after an entertaining 2-2 stalemate. Noah Botic had promised that the Joeys would give their all, and that was clear to see in Goiania, as they fought back from two goals down to claim a valuable point. – FIFA.com