Nigeria’s U-23 football team have secured automatic qualification for the Quarterfinals of the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympic games after beating Sweden 1-0 in their second group B match on Sunday.
Sadiq Umar’s first-half header was enough to separate the two sides after 90 minutes as Nigeria go through to the next round with a game to spare.
The Dream Team VI began the match on the front-foot with Sadiq Umar missing a clear opportunity in the eighth minute after he was played through on goal but his shot was denied by Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Linde who also saved the rebound from Oghenekaro Etebo to keep the scores at 0-0.
Nigeria continued to dominate the early exchanges with the Swedes content to sit back and play on the counter but both sides were unable to create anything meaningful until the 30th minute when John Obi Mikel sent a long ball to Imoh Ezekiel who found Sadiq Umar but his shot was fired straight into the waiting hands of the goalkeeper.
Etebo wasted another chance for Nigeria after the lively Ezekiel floated a dangerous cross into the Sweden box but the four-goal man from the first game could only head over the bar.
The breakthrough for the Dream Team VI came finally in the 39th minute with Sadiq Umar, who has been threatening for a while, firing an unstoppable header past Linde to give Nigeria the lead which endured until half-time
Early on in the second half, Mikel was denied by a strong save from Linde who also kept out a long-range effort from Etebo to keep his side alive in the game.
Nigeria continue to press but they could not convert any of the opportunities that came their way and they were almost punished by the Swedes in the 89th minute when Astrit Ajdarevic was left unmarked in the box, but his shot was blocked for a corner kick.
Four minutes was added on at the end of the 90 as Sweden tried to spark a late search for the equaliser but Nigeria was able to hold on for the win which confirmed their qualification to the knockout stages.
am sure d minister of sports will b ashamed of himself where ever he is now with d unrelentless and unstoppable efforts of John Mikel and his team