ENITAN OBADINA / AIPS in AL AIN: Nigeria’s national U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, marked their 50th match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in runaway fashion with a 6-1 thrashing of defending champions Mexico.

Kelechi Iheanaco scored four of Nigeria’s goals to announce his arrival on the big stage.

Isaac Success, top scorer at the African U-17 Championship in Morocco in April, also put his name on the score sheet with versatile Chidiebere Nwakali accounting for the other.

Kelechi opened the scoring with two in the first half, in the 33rd and 40th minutes, before the Mexicans replied with a strike from Ulises Jaimes.

The second half saw Kelechi resuming where he left off at the interval, scoring after only another four minutes.

Coach Manu Garba described the victory as a statement of intent from Nigeria about their desire to win a fourth title.

He said: “We are going to approach the next match against Sweden in the same manner as we did against Mexico because our objective is to win the fourth title for Nigeria.”

Despite the outcome, Mexico had marginally more possession in the match with 56 percent but it was the clinical finishing and flair of the Nigerians which won the day.

* AIPS, the international sports journalists association, is running a Young Reporters course in UAE with the support of the local organising committee and FIFA

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