Margao

First-half goals from Lincoln and Brenner gave Brazil a 2-0 victory over Niger and top spot in Group D at the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. They advance to the Round of 16 along with Friday’s opponents, as the Junior Menas claimed one of the best third-place spots in the knockout stages.

Many at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa were hoping for a classic Brazilian display and the first half did not disappoint. The South American champions took the lead just four minutes in when Paulinho played a superb low cross into the path of Lincoln at the far post, with the Flamengo striker duly converting the opportunity.

Brazil then created numerous chances, but a second goal did not arrive until ten minutes before the break when Brenner’s free-kick took a big deflection off the Nigerien wall before finding the back of the net.

The second half did not have the same pace and urgency as the opening period, with Brazil strolling with relative ease to a third-straight win and maintaining a 100 per cent record at the competition to date.