As the battle to win jerseys in the present national U-23 men’s football team, the Dream Team VI hots up, the Samson Siasia led team on Saturday evening defeated the NYSC football team by 3-0.
Media Officer of the team, Timi Ebikagboro said the NYSC team put up an impressive display with their physical style of play but the calm and skillful set of youthful players battling for places in Nigeria’s Olympic squad subdued them in a game played at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja.
Among prominent figures in the stands who watched the game was the Director General of the NYSC Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawumi, who came to give his boys all the support.
The entertaining game kicked off at about 4.15pm, with the Samson Siasia-led squad parading players such as Etim Mathew and Samuel Adegbenro dictating the pace. Azubuike held sway in the midfield, while Samuel Adegbenro and youthful Newman Doubra tormented their opponents from the flanks.
Despite the support from the singing supporters of the NYSC team, it was the U-23 team who looked more mobile that had the game under control from the blast of the referee’s whistle.
The pressure led to the NYSC defenders committing many blunders and in one of such fouled Newman Doubra in the penalty area, and the resultant penalty was scored by Etim Mathew in the 35th min.
After the goal it was the Dream team VI all the way as they continued mounting pressure on their opponents with their coaches yearning for more goals, and in the 44th minute, Ghali ‎Abdullahi increased the tally with a beauty of a goal.
On resumption of the second half, Coach Siasia made a total change of the players who played the first half in a bid to give all invited players the opportunity to showcase their talents.
This reduced the tempo of the game as the new players could not maintain the pace of the players who started the game.
As the coaching crew and a handful of fans who were on hand to watch the game seem to have settled for a 2-0 win for the U-23 team, the NYSC team conceded an own goal off a free kick from Fashanu in the last minutes of the game to ensure the national team secured their fifth win since they started the screening exercise in Abuja.
The Dream Team VI had earlier defeated Wazobia FC Abuja 5-0, Jay 1 6-0, played 2-2 draw with Inter Milan FC, forced Football College to 1-1 draw, defeated Dara FC 4-0 and on Friday morning beat Amackson Academy of Abuja 2-1.