FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017, Spain vs Niger, Football Match result: Spain tharsh Niger 4-0

Full time! Spain 4-0 Niger

A dominating performance from the European champions as they notch a comprehensive victory over Niger. A brace for skipper Abel Ruiz and a goal apiece for Cesar Gelabert and Sergio Gomez. Spain take on North Korea in their next match while Niger face Brazil in three days time.

Quite some run by substitute Jose Lara. Came close to scoring too. Probably lingered on to the ball too much. Speaks volumes of the depth Spain have in their ranks that a substitute can do that.

90` Spain 4-0 Niger

Four minutes of added time for Niger to get a consolation goal but it is Spain who almost make it 5-0. Jose Lara nutmegs his marker and gets into the box in a beautiful move. However, he is late to get the ball off his feet and Khaled rushes in to pounce on the loose ball.

Abel Ruiz comes off to a rousing reception at Kochi. The Spain captain has turned quite a few heads with his performance tonight. Another crowd favourite on the night seems to be the Niger keeper Khaled Lawali, whose saves are making fans go wild.

85` Spain 4-0 Niger

Miranda a whisker away from getting his name on the scoresheet. The left-back powers through the Nigerien defence and send a low shot at goal. Khaled gets his fingertips on it and the ball comes back from the post. Torres wins back the ball but his fierce shot is gathered by Khaled. 

At the other end, Niger get a free-kick in front of goal and Sofiane’s shot is inches away from goal. Fernandez was well and truly beaten then.

82` GOAL! Sergio Gomez scores! Spain 4-0 Niger

Well that’s three points in the bag for Spain now. Ferran Torres cuts it back for Abel Ruiz but a defender gets a foot in and the ball rolls outside the box. Sergio Gomez steams in and unleashes a fierce shot past Khaled in the bottom corner. A well-deserved goal for Gomez who had already created two goals.

75` Spain 3-0 Niger

And the first player to go down due to cramps tonight is Cesar Gelabert. The Nigerien players use the stoppage in play to go towards their bench and get some tips from their coach as well as get some fluids in their body.

Yacine Wa Massamba goes off for Kairou Amoustapha. Gelabert also trudges off to be replaced by Jose Lara.

70` Spain 3-0 Niger

This exactly what Amit was talking about. What a save that is from Khaled Lawali! Abel Ruiz plays in a through ball for Torres who lays it off to Gelabert. With only Khaled to beat, Gelabert hits a powerful shot but Khaled flies in to deny Spain their fourth of the night.

Spain make their first change with Alvaro Garcia replacing Antonio Blanco.

Interesting to note that Niger goalkeeper Khaled Lawali is the fourth shortest player on the pitch. ALL of Spain’s starting XI towered over him. Pretty diminutive for a keeper, but has pulled off a couple of amazing saves tonight.

Spain showing traces of Barcelona there. Antonio Blanco, Mohamed Moukhliss and Sergio Gomez formed a neat little triangle and passed the ball around in the midfield. Interesting to note that Gomez is from Barca but the other two are Real players.

60` Spain 3-0 Niger

Spain are toying with the Nigerien team now. Antonio Blanco, Mohamed Moukhliss and Sergio Gomez play some quick short passes as Niger’s Yacine tries to win the ball but to no avail. Yacine eventually gives up and Spain play out from the back. Smooth sailing from here on for the Spaniards. 

Meanwhile, Hamid Galissoune replaces the captain Karim Tinni. Niger going all out with three strikers on the pitch now.

55` Spain 3-0 Niger

Moukhliss bursts into the box but he overruns the ball and is swinging his foot in the thin air. Spain have done well to keep Niger away from their goal.

50` Spain 3-0 Niger

Barring a remarkable comeback from Niger, Spain are on course to bag three points today. However, what will be interesting to watch will be if they look to improve their goal difference or get their best players off for an early shower and close out the game.

And we are off in the second half!

Niger need to up their game in the second half to get back into the game. One way would be to score in the first five minutes and put the pressure on Spain early on.

It’s one-way traffic here as Spain leading Niger in almost the stats. After a shaky start, the European champions came back beautifully in the match and they are deservedly in the lead. Niger might rue the chances they had in the first ten minutes of the match. 

Half-time here in Kochi. Niger’s spine is broken with that third goal. Don’t see a comeback from here. The African team made history three days ago by winning their debut match against DPR Korea. But reality seems to have come knocking on their door. Next up for them is Brazil, an even more daunting prospect. However, one needs to remember that four best third-placed teams will also make it to the last-16. And Niger have three points in their kitty already.

It’s 1-1 at half-time in the match between Costa Rica and Guinea in Goa.

HT | #FIFAU17WC
Group C - Goa
🇨🇷1-1🇬🇳
Group D - Kochi
🇪🇸3-0🇳🇪 pic.twitter.com/uX1ndVt2jy

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) October 10, 2017

45` GOAL! Cesar Gelabert makes it 3-0 for Spain 

That was as simple as it gets for Gelabert. Spain hit Niger on the counter and Sergio Gomez whips in a delightful cross for Gelabert to volley it from 2 yards out. 

The first-half ends with Ibrahim Namata, who has been already booked, escaping with a second yellow for a dangerously high studs-up tackle.

Niger coach Ismaila Tiemoko has to have the loudest voices you will have ever heard. When he screams at his wards, journalists sitting on the 4th floor of the glass-walled press box can hear what he’s shouting. Wouldn’t fancy getting the hairdryer treatment from him.

41` GOAL! Abel Ruiz for Spain again! Spain 2-0 Niger

Spain get a free kick near the corner-flag on the right and Gomez fires it in low for Ruiz in a practised free-kick routine. Ruiz hits it first-time but it hits a body and Ruiz goes in for the rebound and buries it in the back of the net. Relief for Spain now

Over half the seats at Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru stadium are empty. The ones that are full seem to be filled with fans wearing the canary yellow of Brazil. No two ways about who is the crowd puller here. 

35` Spain 1-0 Niger

Niger get a free-kick and a good cross can make life difficult for the Spanish defence. Habibou Sofiane though goes for goal and even though Fernandez is not having a good outing till now, it is not enough to challenge him and the ball bounces harmlessly behind goal.

30` Spain 0-0 Niger

Mohamed Moukhliss scoops a free-kick into the path of Abel Ruiz but his shot sails harmlessly over for a goal-kick. That goal was just what Spain needed and they have stepped up their game.

25` Spain 1-0 Niger

Almost a second for Spain. The keeper Khaled comes in to grab the ball from an in-swinging corner but he fumbles it. Victor Chust rises high to head in the cross but he can only send it over the empty goal.

21` GOAL! Abel Ruiz gives Spain the lead! Spain 1-0 Niger

Good play from the Spaniards and a low cross from the left rolls past a static Nigerien defence and Abel Ruiz pokes it into goal. 

Niger had opportunities to take the lead but it is Spain who take the lead.

15` Spain 0-0 Niger

Big chance for Spain to take the lead. Good play near the goal line from a Spanish player and he squares it off to Sergio Gomez who looks to guide into the goal but Khaled in the Niger goal saves it comfortably.

10` Spain 0-0 Niger

Niger with the first clear chance of the game as a header from the penalty spot is straight at Fernandez. Niger have had 5 attempts at the Spain goal compared to a solitary one by Spain. Niger are high on confidence here. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Namata finds himself in the book for a clumsy tackle.

Our correspondent Amit Kamath is reporting live from the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi.

5` Spain 0-0 Niger

Spain with the majority of the possession in the opening minutes of the match. Niger get with the first shot of the match which is blocked behind for a corner. They get another one through some bizarre defending from Juan Miranda who hooks it back behind after a poor clearance from Fernandez in goal.

Kick off! Spain 0-0 Niger

And we’re off. A must-win match for Spain this and it’ll be a test of their mettle today against the debutants Niger.

The teams are out and the match will get underway after the singing of the national anthems. We’re minutes away from kick-off at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.

Take a look at all the matches to be played today from Groups C and D.

30 MINUTES TO KICK-OFF!
Goa and Kochi host the second matchday for Groups C and D #FIFAU17WC
PREVIEW➡️https://t.co/pyvsgy94xC pic.twitter.com/Yv4pDnQwYX

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) October 10, 2017

Spain were clearly struggling in the Kochi heat against Brazil and they are playing Niger, who are used to the heat. But the European champions have the pedigree to bounce back from that loss and get themselves back in contention. For Niger, a draw will feel like a win as they will move onto four points but they will be on the backfoot throughout against Spain and will need to make the most of any chances that fall their way.

FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017: Spain aim to open account against debutant Niger in Group D clashhttp://www.firstpost.com

The lineups are out! 

Three chages for Spain from their match against Brazil. Pampin, Beitia and Alvaro Garcia are out and in come Juan Miranda, Antonio Blanco and Cesar Gelabert.

Only one change fo Niger and it is their injured captain Rachid Alfari who is replaced by Kader Aboubacar.

Spain: Alvaro Fernandez (GK), Mateu Jaume, Juan Miranda, Hugo Guillamon, Victor Chust, Antonio Blanco, Ferran Torres, Mohamed Moukhliss, Abel Ruiz (C), Sergio Gomez, Cesar Gelabert.

Niger: Khaled Lawali (GK), Yacine Wa Massamba, Farouk Idrissa, Habibou Sofiane, Karim Tinni (C), Djibrilla Ibrahim, Kader Aboubacar, Rachid Soumana, Ibrahim Boubacar, Ibrahim Namata, Salim Abdourahmane

Hello and welcome to Firtspost’s live coverage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017. After finally getting over India scoring their first goal, then conceding a minute later and ultimately losing the match, we’re back today to bring you all the live updates of today’s action from the World Cup. Spain take on Niger in a do-or-die clash for the European champions. The Spaniards had lost to Brazil last time around and have to win today to keep their chances of going on to the next round alive, especially since Niger had won their match against North Korea. A draw wil be a huge boost for Niger, who are playing in their first world cup.