Serengeti Boys in a fix after defeat

Dar es Salaam. The national Under-17 soccer team coach, Oscar Mirambo, was left crest-fallen when his team lost 3-0 to Uganda.

It was the second defeat in a row for Serengeti Boys, as the team is popularly known, in the 2019 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

In their first Group A match, they lost 5-4 to Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets at the National Stadium on Sunday.

In yesterday’s other match, Nigeria squeezed a 1-0 win against to reach the semi-final of the tournament.

The five-time winners of the competition have also picked a ticket for the 2019 Fifa U-17 World Cup to be held in Brazil later this year.

It was the second win for Manu Garba’s side at the tournament after beating Tanzania 5-4 in their first Group A game.

Olakunle Olusegun scored from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after an Angolan defender handled the ball in the penalty box.

Again, it was a game which Nigeria were guilty of profligacy in front of goal after dominating the game for the most part.

Wisdom Ubani who got a brace against Tanzania on Sunday, had a chance to give Nigeria the lead on the 11th minute but his fierce effort from 22-yard freekick went narrowly off target.

It was Angola’s time to try goal from a distance but Golden Eaglets’ goalkeeper Sunday Stephen did well to punch out a shot from Zito.

Three minutes later, Stephen was sharp again to keep out another effort from the Angolans and quickly on the end, Ubani’s snapshot after a swift turn went narrowly wide.

In the 21st minute, Olusegun put Nigeria in the lead from the penalty spot after an Angolan defender had handled the ball in the box.