Nigeria's dream of making history by becoming the first team to win the age-grade competition four times, and the first ever to host and win, could not be realised as the Swiss defied all odds to clinch their first ever World Cup title on Sunday.
Writing under the headline ''Swiss break Nigerians' hearts'', the private Sun newspaper chronicled the loss thus: ''Debutantes, Switzerland, were not at all troubled by the 60,000+ hostile fans in Abuja's, hulking National Stadium, beating hosts and holders, Nigeria 1-0 in the capital to hoist aloft the FIFA Under-17 World Cup trophy on Sunday.
''The win, which came thanks to a steely defensive effort and a second-half header by Haris Seferovic, marks the first time a Swiss national team of any age or gender have ever laid claim to a FIFA title.''
Thisday newspaper reported the loss from the angle that no previous host of the two-yearly tournament has ever won it.
''Host Jinx Stays as Eaglets Fall to Swiss'' was the headline in the newspaper, which wrote: ''The jinx surrounding hosts nations failing to win the nearly 25-year- old FIFA Under-17 World Cup trophy again played out last night as the Golden
Eaglets succumbed to a lone goal defeat from hard fighting Swiss teenagers.
''Thrice the competition has been hosted in Asia (1985, 1993 and 2007) and thrice Nigeria has returned with the trophy as champions. Brazil has picked it once in Europe (Finland), the other two times in Africa (Egypt '97) and in the Pacific (New Zealand '99). The other five previous winners Mexico (Peru 2005), France (T/Tobago 2001), Ghana (Italy '91) S'Arabia (Scotland '89) and Soviet Union (Canada '87) were all achieved away from home as hosts.''
''Switzerland lifts Under-17 trophy (Vanguard); ''Our boys blew it'' (Next) and ''Steely Swiss stun Eaglets'' (Daily Trust) were some of the other headlines.
Lagos - 16/11/2009
Pana
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|