Favour Fawunmi has been a livewire in both of West Ham United U19s fixtures in India so far.
The 17-year-old winger came off the bench to score in the opening fixture of the Premier League Next Generation Cup, which is taking place in Navi Mumbai. After going 1-0 down to ATK Mohun Bagan U21s, Fawunmi connected with a driven cross from George Earthy to share the points.
Then, against Bengaluru FC U21s, the midfielder scored the second goal in a 4-0 victory, with his finish coming 36 seconds into the second half.
Now with their final group match approaching, Fawunmi believes that the Hammers have what it takes to beat South African side Stellenbosch U21s and advance into the final as group winners.
“I think the team was very strong today,” the midfielder said after the win over Bengaluru.
“We knew it was a must-win game because we want to get to the final, and I feel like the boys put in a really good performance. That’s the sort of levels that we’ve got to maintain throughout the rest of the tournament now.
“It was nice to score again as well – it’s always nice to score! But it was a real team effort out there tonight to get the win.
“It’s not easy playing in this heat and humidity against good opposition – so I’m really pleased for the boys. It’s another step forward for us, and now we have to prepare right to face Stellenbosch.”
Watch highlights from the 4-0 win over Bengaluru by clicking here.
The timing of Fawunmi’s goal allowed Lauris Coggin’s young Hammers to play with freedom for the remainder of the second half, as they confidently knocked the ball around and scored two further goals – which came via fellow substitutes Blaise Uwandji and Lewis Orford.
“We noticed once we got the second that it gave us a bit of an edge. It meant that instead of us just bombing forward, we could keep the ball and make them run around in the heat.
"We did that a lot better today than we managed in the first game, and if we keep playing like that then I think we have a really good chance of going all the way."
Stellenbosch beat both Bengaluru and ATK Mohun Bagan in their first two games, meaning they currently sit on six points in Group A. The Hammers are two behind, so only a win will do for Fawunmi and co as they look to reach the final.
“We’re going to make sure we’re prepared and ready for a strong side,” he admitted. We know they’re good opposition, but we’re West Ham and we’ve been in these situations a lot this season where we’ve needed to win big games – I think we’re used to that pressure.
“We need to go out there and put in a good performance, keep the ball well and keep it tight at the back. As a group our aim is to go all the way and that starts with getting a win on Tuesday.”
