U-17 AFCON Qualifier: Golden Eaglets To Face Ghana In Final
Achem Samuel
Nigeria’s U-17 men’s football team, the Golden Eaglets, have made it into the final round of the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, after successfully defeating Niger Republic 2-1 in their semi-final encounter.
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Both teams started the game off on their best foot and Niger managed to hold off the Eaglets long enough with no goals from both sides, until two minutes before half time when Akinkunmi Amoo slotted in the first goal of the game to give Nigeria the lead.
In the 48th minute, Nigeria came close to doubling the lead, only for Amao’s effort to be stopped. Nigeria went another goal up via a stunner by Olakunle Oluwasegun in the 58th minute.
At this point, the 2013 U-17 World Cup Champions controlled the flow of the game. However, they could not add another goal. Four minutes into the added time, Niger Republic scored their first goal, howbeit, just not enough to stop Nigeria from progressing into the final of the AFCON qualifiers.
Meanwhile, fellow west African side, Ghana defeated Ivory Coast 2-1, and will now slug it out with five-time world champions, Golden Eaglets, for a place in the 2019 AFCON finals in Tanzania.