By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Again, the Mexican senior national football team walloped hapless Nigeria 4-0 in a friendly match played early Sunday morning at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in United States of America (USA).
Two goals in each half of the better forgotten tie from the players point of view ensured sweet victory for the Mexican team preparing to defend their CONCACAF Gold Cup won in 2019.
The match played Saturday evening in Los Angeles due to time difference with Nigeria, saw near full house at the 77,500- capacity LA Coliseum, apparently because of the large concentration of Mexicans in USA thanks to their open borders.
With Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Deputy Director, Technical, Coach Paul Aigbogun directing affairs in the absence of the normal Super Eagles technical crew, the Nigerian team was not up to scratch on the day.
The Mexican team was at its best while the Nigerian team made up of domestic football players were far from being a match to their opponents.
The 4-0 defeat of Nigeria was the sixth confrontation between the senior teams of both countries, four of which have ended in draws.
The only win in the series has gone to Mexico during a US Gold Cup encounter in Dallas (State of Texas) 2-1 on 24th June 1995.
Close-fought confrontations include a 1-1 draw at the FIFA Intercontinental Tournament for the King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in Saudi Arabia on 13th January 1995 (Mexico prevailed 5-4 on penalties in the quarter final match), and 0-0 draws in friendly matches in Houston and Atlanta the previous decade. A friendly game in Mexico also ended 2-2.
The Nigerian delegation to USA included 22 players and a number of officials, including the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi. President of the NFF and FIFA Council Member, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who honoured an invite by the Government of the State of Maryland in Baltimore on Wednesday, joined up with the contingent in Los Angeles on Friday.
As a result of injury to goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, the NFF had to fast-track National Exempt papers for Tottenham Hotspur of England U23goalkeeper, Joshua Oluwayemi.
He is expected in the team hotel in Los Angeles on Friday to beef up the goalkeeping department that has only Enyimba FC’s John Noble and Lobi Stars’ Stanley Nwabali.
