The Golden Eaglets have secured a spot in the semifinals of the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship after a striking 3-0 victory over Togo in their final group match on Thursday morning.
Coach Manu Garba decided to make two alterations to the team that conquered Niger. John Ogwuche stepped in for the injured Boluwatife Ekishola, while Edward Ochigbo was selected over Oreoluwa Agbenla in the midfield.
In the 5th minute, Abdulmuiz Adeleke had a great opportunity to score, but a Togolese defender blocked his shot, preventing it from reaching the target.
Adeleke finally put Nigeria in the lead in the 9th minute, slotting the ball into the bottom corner from Abdulmuiz Oladimeji’s pass.
Two minutes later, Togo came close to equalizing, but the attempted effort narrowly missed the target.
Adeleke almost set up the second goal by finding Oladimeji’s run, but Oladimeji’s chipped effort over the goalkeeper sailed over the crossbar.
In the 22nd minute, Garba had to make his first substitution as Destiny Samuel had to leave the game due to an injury. Imrana Muhammad came on to replace him.
The Eaglets extended their lead in the 32nd minute when Adeleke held the ball and passed it to Simon Cletus, who delivered a precise cross for Adams to score with a header.
Adams almost scored the third goal in stoppage time of the first half, but the goalkeeper denied him.
Three minutes into the second half, Ochibo missed a great opportunity to give the defending champions a three-goal lead.
In the 62nd minute, Adeleke secured Nigeria’s three-goal lead with an assist from Cletus.
He had a chance for a hat-trick in the 69th minute but was thwarted by the Togolese goalkeeper during a penalty kick.
The Eaglets almost lost their clean sheet near the end when a foul at the edge of the penalty area led to a free-kick for Togo, but they failed to convert.
Ochibo demonstrated his gratitude for the trust placed in him by Garba and was awarded the man-of-the-match for his outstanding performance in the midfield for the reigning champions.
In the other group match, Burkina Faso narrowly defeated Niger 1-0, resulting in Nigeria finishing at the top of the table due to a superior goal difference.
They are now set to encounter Ivory Coast, who secured the second spot in Group A, in the semifinal on Saturday.
