THE Golden Eaglets of Nigeria advanced into the semi-finals of the WAFU B U-17 Championship in Ghana after a 3-0 victory over Togo today.
With the victory, the Golden Eaglets climbed to the top of Group B and set up a semi-final clash with Cote d’Ivoire.
Today’s match, which should have been played yesterday, was postponed to this morning after the venue became water-logged following heavy rains.
Forward Abdulmuiz Adeleke scored a brace for the Golden Eaglets, with Rapha Adams netting the other goal.
After missing a good chance in the sixth minute, Adeleke made amends five minutes later, scoring off an assist from Abdulmuiz Oladimeji, against a Togolese side that had lost their previous two games in the championship.
Adams, scorer of the lone goal that earned the five-time world champions victory against Niger Republic on Sunday, got close in the 20th minute off a pass from Oladimeji, but his effort was off target.
The forward made up for it 15 minutes later, nodding home a cross by captain Simon Cletus.
Adeleke completed his brace with Nigeria’s third goal in the 57th minute, off another assist from captain Cletus.
The forward should have made it a hat-trick, but failed to convert a penalty awarded to the Golden Eaglets in the 68th minute.
Nigeria’s Edward Ochigbo was selected as Player of the Match.
Victory meant the Golden Eaglets finished as Group B winners, following Burkina Faso’s 1-0 victory over Niger Republic in the other match of the pool.
Nigeria will now clash with Cote d’Ivoire in the second semi-final on Saturday evening (7pm Nigeria time), after the first semi-final between Ghana and Burkina Faso.
