The defender’s masterclass propelled the Flying Eagles to a World Cup berth at the expense of the Hippos
Abel Ogwuche found it “very tough” waiting for an opportunity in Nigeria U20 squad, with the Trelleborgs prodigy named man-of-the-match in Thursday’s 1-0 quarter-final win over Uganda.
Following the absence of Daniel Bameyi due to card suspension, the teenager was handed his full international debut against the Hippos – pairing Benjamin Frederick in the heart of Flying Eagles’ defence.
Meet your #UGANGA TotalEnergies Man of the Match: congratulations, Abel Ogwuche! 😍🏅#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/z2AtqL3hDI
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 2, 2023
He put up an awe-inspiring display against the East Africans, with the frustration of sitting on the sidelines beginning to ease for a lad eager to prove his worth.
“Very tough I must confess. I always want to play,” Ogwuche told Soccernet.ng
“When you have to see your team-mates from the bench it is not easy but I was always behind the team and was waiting for my chance.
“My chance came today [vs Uganda] and I took it as if my life depended on it. A big thanks to coach [Ladan] Bosso for the trust and congratulations to us for picking a World Cup ticket.”
📹 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇺🇬 0-1 🇳🇬
The Flying Eagles reach the #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 semi-finals at the expense of 2021 finalists 🦅 @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/cHNFaO0rf8
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 2, 2023
The Tripple Academy product revels in his individual accolade while disclosing that Jackson Mayanja’s boys were unyielding.
He continued: “I feel so happy to be named man-of-the-match because I have been working so hard.
“We pushed very hard to win the game because the Ugandans were tough and they created moments of panic.
“This is a dream come true for me and I promise to get even better if given the nod in our next outing.”
Thanks to this result, Nigeria have qualified for the 2023 Fifa U20 World Cup billed to hold in Indonesia.
Coach Bosso is expected to trust Ogwuche in the starting XI as his side now shifts focus to a semi-final showdown versus South Sudan or Gambia on Monday at the Cairo International Stadium.
Nigeria’s last triumph at the biennial African football showpiece was in 2015 when they silenced hosts Senegal 1-0 in the final – with Bernard Bulbwa’s first-half effort separating both teams in Dakar.
