After a difficult build-up to the start of these World Youth Championships, there was considerable relief around the National Stadium in Lagos on Saturday that the opening game of the tournament had passed off without any really serious difficulties.
The day wasn't without its hitches, however. National radio had missed the entire opening ceremony and had continuing problems with their signal throughout the game. Students hired for the pre-match festivities threatened to delay the kick-off when they protested about not having received their pay or food allowances for the day and power cuts in other parts of the country meant that many amongst the tens of millions who had attempted to tune in to watch the Flying Eagles missed much of the match.
In Ibadan, where the Irish team are based, the power cut seemed to go down particularly badly with around 3,000 supporters attacking a power station, although only minor damage was done. And then, of course, there was the result.
Locals fans have been more than a little cocky about their team's chances of emerging as champions from this event, but they were brought firmly down to earth by Saturday's result. Like their senior colleagues, the Nigerian under-20s showed plenty of flair for attack against a poor Costa Rican side, but just as in France last summer they always looked jittery in the vicinity of their own area.
In Julius Aghahowa, the home side clearly possessed the game's outstanding player and after seeing his strikers waste a succession of chances to put his side ahead, the 19-year-old Insurance FC winger, one of the few amongst the host side not to have already moved to Europe, found the net himself in the 20th minute with a low drive across the face of the goal towards the bottom-left corner.
It could easily have been six or seven nil by the time Alexander Castro equalised for the Costa Ricans from the penalty spot with seven minutes remaining. But despite the fact that the 15-year-old goalkeeper, Greivin Cruz, looked hopelessly out of his depth, the locals' finishing was terrible. As they left the pitch, "Operation Total Support", as one radio commentator described it, had been transformed into "Operation Pelt The Players" with hundreds of water bottles (many of them with the water now replaced) hurled at the departing teams.
Later, with thousands waiting for them to leave the stadium, they needed an even more heavyhanded police escort than the teams here usually get. Before leaving, national coach Tunde Disu took time out to blame his players for the disappointing result, singling out forwards Eddy Dombraye and Hashimu Garba for particular criticism.
NIGERIA: Okoye; Aranka; Afolabi, Okunowo, Ikemefuna, Eneh; Aghahowa, Musa, Melkam; Dombraye, Garba. Subs: Babangida for Garba (56 mins), Ikedia for Dombraye (65 mins), Yobo for Aghahowa (81 mins).
COSTA RICA: Cruz; Castro, Martinez, Melendez, Brenes; Venegas, Rodriguez, Alpizar, Viquez; Diaz, Santana. Subs: Arias for Viquez (half-time), Ugarte for Alpizar (52 mins),Parks for Brenes (76 mins).
Referee: S Shmolik (Belarus).
