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| FIFA U-17 WC: Nigeria media lament loss
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Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) -
The disappointment of Nigerian fans with the country's 1
-0 loss to Switzerland in the final of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup
in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja was driven home Monday by local newspapers.
Nigeria's dream of making history by becoming the first team to win the age-grad
e 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 Nigeriansâ? hearts'', the private Sun
newspaper chronicled the loss thus: ''Debutantes, Switzerland, were not at all t
r
oubled
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 head
er by Haris Seferovic, marks the first time a Swiss national team of any age or
g
ender
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-y
e
ar- 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 thric
e Nigeria has returned with the trophy as champions. Brazil has picked it once i
n
Europe (Finland), the other two times in Africa (Egypt â?97) and in the Pacific
(New Zealand â~99). The other five previous winners Mexico (Peru 2005), France
(T/Tobago 2001), Ghana (Italy â?91) Sâ?Arabia (Scotland â?89) and Soviet Union
(Canada â?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.
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| Lagos - 16/11/2009 |
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