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Nigeria's Flying Eagles got off to a good start yesterday at the World Youth Championships taking place in Holland when they held champions Brazil to a goalless draw.
Nigeria's Flying Eagles got off to a good start yesterday at the World Youth Championships taking place in Holland when they held champions Brazil to a goalless draw.
The match played at the Emmen Stadium in Emmen; eastern Netherlands was their first game of Group F finally ended Nigeria's poor run against the Samba Boys in the competition.
Since first meeting the four time champions at Nigeria's first outing in the competition at Mexico'83 the Flying Eagles have been on the receiving end of a hat trick of defeats starting with the 3-0 loss in Mexico.
This was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Moscow'85 and rounded off with a humiliating 4-0 drubbing at Chile'87.
Yesterday's result finally allowed the U-20 coach Samson Siasia make up for the defeat he suffered as part of the Flying Eagles team 20 years ago in the Russian capital.
Recalling that painful summer's day two decades ago Siasia recently told the BBC: "I fondly remember that experience and the painful way we lost to Brazil [2-0 in the semi-finals] and now we are back again, I hope things will change this time.
"I'm looking forward to this competition and an opportunity to play Brazil again but this time I'll be doing it from the side line."
Yesterday result was all the more impressive when one considers the poor build up he had because of the lack of funds and the shoddy arrangement by the Glass House.
Showing an amazing lack of nerves against the tournament favourties the Flying Eagles took the battle straight to the South Americans right from the blast of the Spanish referee's whistle winning the first few corners of the match.
The Brazilians, however, gradually fought their way back into the match and had the first real shot at goal barely 10 minutes into the game.
The Spanish referee, however, almost damped the Nigerian's play with his love of showing the Flying Eagles' players' cards. In fact in the first 45 minutes he had shown cards to Solomon Okoronkwo, Taye Taiwo, John Mikel Obi and Kennedy Chinwo. It was a surprise that he did not make any of them see red in the second half.
Siasia was forced to make an early second half substitution when skipper Isaac Promise could not continue after failing to properly recover from a knock and brought on Chinedu Ogbuke who was a constant thorn in the Brazil defence.
The former international turned junior team coach them made an inspiring tactical switch pushing Obi from attack into midfield and the impact was immediate with the much sort after youngster spraying telling passes to his team mates.
In the other Group F game played yesterday Switzerland beat South Korea 2-1 to lead the group. Flying Eagles next meet Korea.