Nnamdi Oduamadi scored his hat-trick as Nigeria squashed minnows Tahiti by 6-1 goals in their opening Confederations Cup game in Belo Horizonte on Monday.
The African champions arrived in Brazil 36 hours earlier than the game following a row over bonus payments. However, they even afforded some wasteful finishing as they leapfrogged world champions Spain to the apex of Group B.
It was a predictably reprimanding experience for 138th ranked in the world Tahiti. Meanwhile they were able to celebrate when Jonathan Tehau struck their first ever goal at the high-profile international event. Early in the second half, Tehau's goal slashed Nigeria's lead to 3-1 after a deflected Uwa Echiejile shot and two goals from Oduamadi had put Nigeria in lead position.
The south Pacific islanders' hopes of a famous return were hastened as Tehau put through his own goal before Oduamadi and Echiejile which added further goals to give Stephen Keshi's men a spring in their step ahead of Thursday's important showdown with Uruguay. A meager crowd of only 20,187 made their way to the newly refurbished Estadio Mineirao. However they were vocal in their sustain of Tahiti, who recorded the game's first kick on target through Vincent Simon. However, fortune deserted the underdogs after sometime.
After the ball recoiled off referee Joel Aguilar, Echiejile launched a tentative shot that repelled off Tehau and captain Nicolas Vallar and rebound past Tahiti goalkeeper Xavier Samin.
Oduamadi added two more goals, clearly side-stepping a pair of challenges and brushing home in the 10th minute, before stepping in his second when Samin tipped out a low cross from Ahmed Musa. Nigeria battled to put the game to bed but Musa miskicked in front of an open goal before Anthony Ujah and Sunday Mba both allowed Samin to save when clean through on goal.
Professional player Marama Vahirua of Tahiti drove a shot narrowly over and they cautioned to make things interesting as Steevy Chong Hue advanced wide from a Ricky Aitamai cross. Musa shot the ball again from 12 yards early during the second half, before the goal that Tahiti had been intimidating came in the 54th minute. At last honor fell to Tehau, who headed in a deep corner kick from Vahirua at the back post and further led his enthusiastic team-mates in a canoe-paddling gala.
The goal made the coach Eddy Etatea to leap out from the dug-out with his fists in the air which marked the jubilation on the bench. Incidentally, Tehau's day took a turn for the worse in the 68th minute when he accidentally toed the ball into his own goal to award Nigeria's three-goal advantage. Eventually, Oduamadi tucked in a cross from substitute Brown Ideye to complete his hat-trick in the 76th minute. Echiejile added a sixth shortly after as Tahiti's reserves of resistance ultimately ran out.
