Nigeria Men U-20 football team, The Flying Eagles have booked their place in the final of the ongoing WAFU B championship and also qualified for the 2023 African Youth championship (AYC) after a 2-1 extra time victory over Ivory Coast on Tuesday night in Niamey, Niger, Owosports.com.ng reports.
The Nigeria side had to dig deep in a fierce battle that lasted over 120 minutes to get the needed win over the Ivorian to set up a final date against neighbors Benin Republic who had beaten Burkina Faso 2-1 in the first Semifinals played earlier.
Nigeria National League side, FC One Rocket Midfielder Daga Daniel had opened scoring for Nigeria with a beautiful headed goal early in the first half, but the Ladan Bosso boys who could have been three goals up before the half time whistle where made to pay for their missed chances as Seydou Traore curled in a well taken free kick at the edge of the box just at the closing stages of the first half to draw the Young Elephant level going into the break.
The Flying Eagles didn’t take leap from their mistakes in the first half as they came back in the second half dominated the game but where yet unable to convert their chances forcing the game into extra time after it ended 1-1 at regulation time, Gombe United’s Ibrahim Yahaya was the hero as he converted from spot in the second half of extra time after Tolulope Samuel was brought down inside the area.
The Flying Eagles alongside Benin Republic have qualify for the 2023 Under 20 AFCON holding in Egypt.
