Nigeria’s U17 boys’ national football team, the Golden Eaglets, have secured a spot in the 2024 Africa U17 Cup of Nations after a hard-fought 3-2 victory over hosts Ghana in the WAFU B U17 Championship third-place match.
The match, played on Tuesday evening, saw the Golden Eaglets come from behind to win the bronze medals and book a place in the continental tournament, Footballrover reports.
Despite initial uncertainty surrounding the qualification process, the Golden Eaglets’ victory ensured their spot in the competition, alongside Burkina Faso and hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
The bronze medal game between the Golden Eaglets and Black Starlets kicked off on a strong note but ended in a five-goal thriller.
The thrilling encounter saw Simon Cletus miss a golden chance to put Nigeria ahead barely two minutes into the game.
However, Imrana Muhammad managed to put Nigeria ahead seven minutes later, only for Ghana to equalise through an own goal in the 28th minute.
Eight minutes after their equaliser, Ghana found themselves ahead for the first time in the game through Harve Gbafa after a defensive blunder from the Eaglets.
But the Eaglets of Nigeria didn’t relent. Just four minutes before the interval, Abdulmuiz Adeleke nodded the equaliser for Nigeria, courtesy of a pull-out from John Ogwuche.
After regulation time, it took the Nigerian team an additional two minutes to break the heart of the young Ghanaian.
Adeleke scored the late winner, securing a well-deserved victory for the Golden Eaglets.
The win was a vital one for the team, which will now represent Nigeria in the 2024 Africa U17 Cup of Nations.
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