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Squeakers France, Nigeria get by in FIFA under-17 semifinals
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- France came from behind to beat Argentina 2-1 and Nigeria squeaked by Burkina Faso 1-0 in semifinals Thursday of the FIFA under-17 World Championship in Trinidad. Nigeria, which already has won the tournament twice, will play France for the championship trophy Sunday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain. France has never won the tournament. Argentina plays Burkina Faso for third place earlier on Sundday. With a second-half offensive surge, France came from behind to defeat Argentina at the Hasely Crawford. All the game's goals came in the second half. The game, played to the funky sound of a band playing Trinidadian steel-pan music, was fast-paced and intense. In the first half, France's Anthony Le Tallec headed a ball that brushed the top post as it went over the goal in the 38th minute. Two minutes later, Argentina's Lucas Correa took a free kick from just left of the penalty area. The powerful shot curved dangerously toward the goal, but goalkeeper Florent Chaigneau leapt on the ball, pinning it down before it crossed the goal-line. Argentina opened the scoring in the 48th minute of the second half on a breakaway by Carlos Tevez, who outran a last defender and drilled the ball past Chaigneau. France responded in the 56th minute. A long center was delivered into the penalty area by Meghni, and this time Le Tallec's header sailed by goalkeeper Lucas Molina. In the 58th minute, France got the go-ahead goal as a perfectly taken corner from Kevin Jacmot was headed into the nets by Jeremie Berthod. France continued to assail the Argentine goal as the South American players grew increasingly desperate and disorganized. In the game's final minutes, Emmers Fae of France and Argentina's star striker Maximiliano Lopez began to scuffle near the French goal, and players from both sides joined the shoving match. Referee Raphael Divine Evehe ejected Argentina's Lopez. At the Larry Gomes stadium in Malabar, an early goal off a penalty shot was enough for Nigeria to beat Burkina Faso. Nigeria scored on a penalty in the 4th minute after Femi Opabunmi surged down the right side early in the game. Opabunmi lobbed a center into the penalty area that struck Burkina Faso's Amadou Coulibaly in the hand. A penalty was called for the handball and Opabunmi kicked it expertly -- low and to the right past outstretched goalkeeper Abdoul Kadre Kontougomde. Undefeated Nigeria didn't show the flair and dominance of past games in the under-17, including the 5-1 thrashing of Australia in the quarterfinals. But the footwork of Opabunmi and the constant offensive pressure of Soga Sambo were enough to keep Burkina Faso off-balance. In the second half, Nigeria took no risks, positioning midfielders defensively to protect the one-goal lead. Aziz Abdoul Nikiema had Burkina Faso's clearest opportunity to tie the game in the 53rd minute. His low shot went wide. Substitute Karimu Shaibu almost scored in the 87th minute, dribbling into a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But Shaibu's shot was deflected off Kontougomde's heel as he came out to make the save. Already in injury time, Burkina Faso's Lassana Kanoute was given his second yellow card for a dangerous high kick near a Nigeria player and was ejected from the game.
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