Dubai: Joint-record three-time winners Nigeria will play defending champions Mexico in Friday’s Fifa Under-17 World Cup final in Abu Dhabi after both sides tasted semi-final success on Tuesday.
Nigeria beat Sweden 3-0 in Dubai while Mexico earlier beat Argentina by the same scoreline in Abu Dhabi.
Nigeria went ahead after before the half-hour from Taiwo Awoniyi, before Samuel Okon and Chidera Ezeh added a late double.
Awoniyi put Nigeria ahead on 21 minutes receiving Kelechi Iheanacho’s forward chip over the defence and into space in an onside position. Sweden’s goalkeeper Sixten Mohlin then hesitated in his approach in the one-on-one, deciding instead to stay back, before Awoniyi got to the ball first and slotted it into the bottom-left corner.
Nigeria should have been awarded a penalty on the half hour after Sweden’s Elias Andersson handled inside the area.
The Africans continued to dominate in the second half but Sweden nearly found an equaliser when Erdal Rakip’s chip from Andersson’s free kick grazed the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards, Noah Sonko failed to connect in front of goal, again from an Andersson free kick.
After Nigeria had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside, Sweden’s Carlos Strandberg had an effort tipped over the crossbar by the keeper from Gentrit Citaku’s cross. The resulting corner by Andersson saw Linus Wahlqvist head just over.
However, their resurgent form was shortlived when Awoniyi set up Okon for a drilled effort into the bottom right from outside the area with 10 minutes to spare and Ezeh tapped in at the far post from a short corner a minute later to secure the victory.
