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Flying Eagles lose to USA, render Ukraine game crucial

Published

6 years ago

May 28, 2019

Flying Eagles lose to USA, render Ukraine game crucial

An unimpressive Flying Eagles side was well beaten by Team USA in Bielsko-Biala on Monday night, meaning they must earn a result against table –toppers Ukraine on Thursday to be sure of a place in the Round of 16.

Looking already good for the knockout stages following a commanding 4-0 win over Qatar in Tychy on Friday, the two –time runners –up were taken to the cleaners by a smooth –playing American side that was vastly superior in pace, technical hue, all –round play, awareness, guile and marksmanship.

Having beaten Qatar easily, the Flying Eagles were expected to find their range against USA and get their two feet into the knockout rounds. But that looked a mountain to climb right from kick –off as the nifty Sebastian Soto, who scored both goals, combined well with Alex Mendez and Timothy Weah to rip through the Nigerian defence at will.

Soto came close to getting the first goal after only nine minutes, but missed with goalkeeper Olawale Oremade beaten. In another nine minutes, he got it right, as he was strangely allowed a free header from a corner inside a box that had about eight Nigerian players.

It would have been two-nil three minutes later but Oremade charged out Weah’s close-range shot. Nine minutes later, it should have been that exact scoreline but the ever-dangerous Soto was ruled offside after rifling into the net, as four Nigerian defenders made a complete hash of clearing the ball from a corner kick.

In the closing stages of the first half, Aniekeme Okon’s fierce shot was palmed away by goalkeeper Brad Scott, but right from the recess, the threatening 2-0 score on the board became a reality as Soto, again, ran cleverly behind a stiff Nigerian rearguard to snap the ball past Oremade.

Even as they improved in the second period, the Flying Eagles failed to show any attacking fluency or clinical efficiency, and it was rather the Americans who put on display excellent footwork and and cohesion now and again to threaten at will.

Nigeria must now earn a result against group leaders Ukraine – who pipped Qatar 1-0 earlier in the day – on Thursday to advance to the Round of 16.

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FCT Outplays Edo to Grab Handball Bronze at Gateway Games

Published

1 week ago

May 27, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

Team FCT bounced back from their narrow semi-final defeat to hosts Ogun State with an emphatic victory over Team Edo to secure the bronze medal in handball at the 2024 Gateway Games.

In the third-place match played on Tuesday at the Alake Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the resilient FCT side dominated proceedings and overpowered their Edo counterparts with a convincing 30–17 win.

Displaying determination and teamwork, Team FCT shook off the disappointment of missing out on the final and ended the tournament on a high, earning praise from spectators and officials alike for their spirited performance.

Speaking after the victory, FCT Handball Coach Ayo Joshua attributed the success to the team’s resilience and strong desire to win a medal.

“We planned for gold but, unfortunately, we couldn’t achieve that. However, we are happy that we didn’t leave Ogun State empty-handed—we were able to secure the bronze medal,” he said.

“We have the best team, skillful players who follow instructions, and by the grace of God, come the next festival in Enugu, FCT Handball will come out even stronger.”

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