'Nigeria were on us the whole time' - Norway coach admits after narrow win against Flying Eagles

Norway coach Bjørn Johansen admitted that his side were pushed to the limit by the Flying Eagles in their narrow 1-0 victory on Monday night in their FIFA U20 World Cup opener.

The Flying Eagles nearly struck first when Kparobo Arierhi rattled the crossbar inside three minutes, but it was Norway who took the lead shortly after. 

A VAR review penalised a handball in the Nigerian box, and Rasmus Holten calmly converted from the spot.

Norway almost doubled their advantage before the break when Luca Hoyland embarked on a run that ended with Gustav Nyheim failing to finish from close range.

Nigeria rallied in the second half, creating several opportunities in search of an equaliser. 

Tahir Maigana came closest, but his effort cannoned off the post, leaving the seven-time African champions empty-handed despite a spirited display.

Johansen admitted it was a demanding encounter, acknowledging that his side struggled to retain possession and were forced to play defensively for long spells.

"It was a thrilling match. Nigeria were on us the whole time, but we managed to use the ball a little more in the first half and could have punished them once more,” Johansen told the official website of the Norwegian Federation. 

"In the second half it was a defensive game where we had to take on the opposition. We were too bad with the ball after the break because the spaces were perhaps even bigger then. 

"We have to tighten that up when we face Colombia, even though I don't think they are as eager to press as Nigeria."

Despite the pressure, Johansen was delighted with the result and the resilience shown by his players.

"It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe. It was incredibly delicious."

The Flying Eagles will look to bounce back when they meet Saudi Arabia in their next Group F fixture on October 2, while Norway continue their campaign against Colombia on the same day.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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