The Golden Eaglets secured a victory against the host nation, Ghana, in the third-place match of the WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifiers on Tuesday evening, thereby clinching the bronze medal with the team also book a place at next year’s Cup of Nations .
Merely two minutes into the match, Simon Cletus was on the verge of inaugurating the scoreline, yet, unexpectedly, he failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
The initial goal of the game was scored in the 9th minute by Imrana Muhammad, who capitalized on a chaotic situation in front of the goal.
Harvey Gbafa equalized for the home team with an impressive header following a precisely delivered free kick in the 19th minute.
In the 27th minute, Gbafa put the hosts ahead with a skillful flick after Abdulwarith Yunus conceded a free-kick.
Boluwatife Ekishola nearly produced an immediate reply for the defending champions with a header inside the box, but his attempt failed to challenge the goalkeeper.
John Ogwuche also had a chance to level the score with an attempt from Destiny Samuel’s curved ball but missed the target.
In the 40th minute, Ogwuche provided a perfectly-timed cross that Abdulmuiz Adeleke met with a well-directed header, successfully beating the goalkeeper to level the score.
Just two minutes shy of the half-time whistle, Cletus delivered a corner kick to Chika Sylvester, who unfortunately failed to find the target.
The Black Starlets were close to taking the lead again just before the break, but Chinedu Dominic showcased a stunning save to keep the score level.
As the second half began, Muhammad had an excellent opportunity to put the Eaglets in front after receiving a cutback from Ogwuche, but his shot went straight to the goalkeeper.
In the 55th minute, Adeleke had a golden opportunity to put Nigeria in the lead but failed to score in a one-on-one encounter with the goalkeeper.
Then, in the 62nd minute, Dominic was called into action once again, stopping a powerful long-distance attempt from the Ghanaian captain.
With nine minutes left until the end of the game, the Nigerian goalkeeper had to make yet another crucial save to keep the score level.
Just moments before the end of the match, Adeleke finally found the back of the net with a spectacular strike following his initial shot bouncing off the crossbar. This late goal effectively silenced the passionate Ghanaian supporters, securing a dramatic victory.
Meanwhile, with Cote d’Ivoire as hosts and guaranteed a slot, Burkina Faso (no matter the result of the final match) and the third-place winner in the earlier game of the final day, were assured of berths in Abidjan.
