Rapha Adams netted the solitary goal for Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets in their 1-0 victory over Niger Republic at the ongoing WAFU Zone B Under-17 Championship in Ghana.
The Golden Eaglets faced Niger Republic in their second match of the WAFU Zone B under-17 championship at the University of Ghana Stadium on Sunday evening.
In the initial match against Burkina Faso, Manu Garba’s team secured a disappointing draw. However, the coach assured fans of an improved performance in the upcoming game.
To enhance the team’s attacking prowess, Garba implemented two changes to the starting lineup from the previous match.
Nigeria dominated the game for the majority of the first half, but they continued to struggle with the crucial link between midfield and attack. The already challenging situation was made worse by the subpar turf at the University of Ghana Stadium.
However, the team managed to create a couple of opportunities. They finally seized their moment in the 31st minute when Rapha Adams took advantage of a defensive mix-up and scored a header from close range, giving Nigeria a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Eaglets were almost equalized in the 42nd minute, but Mohammed Bourdia’s strike from close range narrowly kissed the crossbar and bounced off.
At the end of the first half, Nigeria was leading, but the Nigeriens really picked up their game in the second half. They came out strong, putting a lot of pressure on the Golden Eaglets to score an equalizer. Unfortunately, the Golden Eaglets eventually faltered when Okorie Chibuike made a foul in front of the box, resulting in a free-kick for the opposition. To make matters worse, he was sent off.
Mukhtar, in control of the set-piece, unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal, but the Golden Eaglets’ goalkeeper Dominic Chinedu produced an outstanding save to divert it for a corner.
After going down, the Golden Eaglets showed an impressive mentality, putting in the extra shift to limit the Nigeriens’ attacking incursions.
The Nigeriens pushed hard for a goal in the dying embers of the game, but Manu Garba’s lads put up a strong front and kept them out. It eventually ended 1-0 to Nigeria.
Nigeria now have four points from two games, and need just one point from their game against Togo on Wednesday to qualify for the knockout phase.
