Nigeria’s national U23 football team put on a five-star performance to beat Sudan and qualify for the 2019 CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations slated to hold in Cairo, Egypt, in November 2019.
The game, which was played at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, on Tuesday September 10, 2019 saw the Olympic Eagles thump their Sudanese opponents 5-0 to the pleasure of the cheering home supporters. A brace from Ndifreke Effiong, and efforts from Taiwo Awoniyi, Sunday Faleye and Sanusi Ibrahim ensured Nigeria comfortably cruised to victory in Asaba to qualify for the U23 AFCON with a 5-1 aggregate win after losing the first-leg 1-0 in Sudan on Thursday, September 5, 2019.
Play by Play
Taiwo Awoniyi hit the ground running after scoring in the 10th minute of the encounter to give Nigeria the lead. Awoniyi’s goal opened up the contest as both sides strived to take the advantage but the Nigerian team was clearly dominant and their efforts paid off in the 27th minute when Ndifreke scored to double the lead through a header after receiving a cross from John Lazarus.
Sudan’s efforts to get an away goal proved even more difficult when Ndifreke scored his second goal of the game in the 45th minute after being located by an Ebube Duru cross. This meant Nigeria went into the halftime break with a 3-1 aggregate lead. Sunday Faleye wasted no time in gifting Nigeria a 4-1 aggregate lead on the hour mark, while Sunusi Ibrahim completed the rout after scoring Nigeria’s fifth goal in the Asaba battle.
Source:
Complete Sports
Featured Image Source: SportsRation