Golden Eaglets beat South Africa 3-2 to reach Q-Finals of 2023 U17 AFCON
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, Saturday night, defeated their South African counterparts by 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals stage of the 2023 U-17 African Nations Cup (AFCON) tournament in Algeria.
The Golden Eaglets also finished the group stages of the tournament as second best on six points behind Morocco which topped their Group B with the maximum 8 points.
The crucial match played at the Stade Mohammed Hamlaoui, in Constantine, Algeria, Saturday, May 6, 8pm, saw the Eaglets recover twice from two goals before clinching the decider in the closing stages of the encounter.
The coach Nduka Ugbade-tutored side had gone down barely five minutes into the match 1-0 through a goal scored by the South Africans from a corner kick.
Half time ended with the South Africans in a 2-1 lead, but that changed with an equalizer scored by Abdullahi, and the winning goal
The Nigerian team finished the group stages of the tournament with six points, three behind their fellow Group B team, and hoist nation Morocco which secured the maximum 8 points at stake having beaten all the other teams including Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa.
The Eaglets had began the tournament on April 30, on a good note dispatching Zambia by 1-0 in a hard-fought win over the Junior Chipolopolo at the same venue to temporarily top the group standings.
Favour Daniel’s 76th-minute finish was all the two-time U17 AFCON winners needed to get the better of the Junior Chipolopolo and begin their Algerian adventure on a winning note.
Morocco, however, later moved past Nigeria to the top of Group B following their impressive 2-0 win over South Africa at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui in Constantine on Sunday evening.
Last Wednesday, May 3, Morocco defeated Nigeria at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui in Constantine, via an own goal conceded by the Golden Eaglets’s Tochukwu Ogboji.
Defender Yahaya Lawali was named Man of the Match for the second consecutive game following Nigeria’s 1-0 defeat to Morocco on Wednesday. The right-back scooped the honour in the Golden Eaglets first game against Zambia which they won 1-0.
Lawali put up a superb display despite Nigeria’s defeat to Morocco.
The Eaglets then needed to win or draw against South Africa to ensure qualification to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Earlier, General Secretary, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Mohammed Sanusi and Board member Ganiyu Majekodunmi visited the Golden Eaglets during their training session on Friday, as they encouraged the boys to put in their best against South Africa on Saturday.
Golden Eaglets lineup
Richard Odoh (Goalkeeper)
Yahaya Lawali (Captain)
Emmanuel Michael
Tochukwu Ogboji
Jeremiah Olaleke
Usman Owoyemi
Hope Linus
Tochukwu Ogbadibo
Abubakar Addullahi
Charles Agada
Light Eke
Substitutes
Umar Abubakar
Ifeoluwa Olowoporoku
Precious Williams
Anougu Aondoaka
Temioluwa Adelakin
Cletus simon
Favour Damiel
Chijoioka Linus
Adewale Quadri
Gift Adie
