The Flying Eagles yesterday pounded Lugbe United FC 12 – 0 in a test game in Abuja in readiness for two friendlies against their Moroccan count erparts next week.
Alhassan Ibrahim a.k.a ‘Mu-azam’ and Taiwo Awoniyi both scored hat-tricks as the country’s U-20 team overran the Nationwide side.
“We’re just starting; this was our first match since we came together,” said coach Manu Garba after the massacre.
“We’re yet to hit our form; there’s still some work to do. We have to improve especially concerning goal scoring,” observed Manu, reputed to have a healthy appetite for goals while handling the 2013 U-17 World Cup heroes.
Despite early pressure from the Flying Eagles, the goals did not start pouring in until the 13th minute, when ‘Mu-azam’ stabbed home off a corner moment after he was denied at point-blank range by the goalkeeper.
Two minutes later, Ifeanyi Matthew freed Awoniyi to score the team’s second goal.
Awoniyi will then help himself to his second goal of the day on 18 minutes after he was released by Bulbwa, before the lanky striker was brought down inside the box for a penalty in the 25th minute.
Ifeanyi Matthew tucked away the resulting penalty kick in the 26th minute.
Scorer Matthew then turned provider when he set up Bulbwa to make it 5 – 0.
The outstanding Matthew then put through Mu-azam for goal number six, before Matthew scored his second goal five minutes from half time.
Left back Mustapha Abdullahi made it eight 10 minutes after the interval, before Mu-azam completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute with a simple tap in from close range.
Three minutes later, Awoniyi also completed his treble with a powerful shot.
Manu then made a wholesale change of the starting XI in the 63rd minute.
Substitute strikers Abubakar Lawal and Sulaiman Abdullahi added to the tally with two late goals thereafter.
Flying Eagles’ line-up:
Adamu Abubakar – Mustapha Abdullahi (Ifeanyi Nweke 63), Izu Omego (Sirajo Mazadu 63), Wilfred Ndidi (Timothy Danladi 63), Aliyu Abubakar (Bello Zaharadeen 63) – Abdullahi Alfa (Anthony Omaka 63), Akinjide Idowu (Mathias Samuel 63), Bernard Bulbwa (Musa Yahaya 63), Ifeanyi Mathew (Ahmed Umar 63) – Taiwo Awoniyi (Sulaiman Abdullahi 63), Alhassan Ibrahim (Abubakar Lawal 63)
