Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have qualified for the semi-final of the ongoing WAFU Zone B Under-17 Championship after defeating Togo 3-0, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Golden Eaglets were second in group B of the WAFU B Championship going into their final game of the round. They played out a goalless draw against Burkina Faso, but produced a.solid display to defeat Niger in their second game. They simply needed a draw in their final game to be sure of qualification for the semis.
The game was initially scheduled for Wednesday evening, but it was postponed to Thursday morning because of the waterlogged pitch.
Nigeria were the better side from the start and despite the poor pitch, they looked quite dangerous. The Eaglets needed just eleven minutes to jump into the lead.
Abdulmuiz Adeleke opened the scoring after an impressive attack, with Abdulmuiz Oladimeji supplying the assist.
Despite scoring, the Golden Eaglets kept piling the pressure to increase their lead. They eventually got it in the 35th minute, with Rapha Adams sending a well-placed header into the net after a cross from Simon Cletus.
The first half ended with Nigeria on top after a dominant display. And it continued like that in the second half. The Golden Eaglets continued to boss proceedings in the second period and they made it three in the 57th minute, with Adeleke scoring his brace.
Nigeria had a big chance in the 68th minute after they won a penalty following a handball in Togo’s area. Unfortunately, Adeleke fluffed his opportunity to get his hattrick and the scoreline remained the same.
Manu Garba’s lads dominated the entre game, limiting the Togolese attack. It ended 3-0, but it could have been more but for the players’ naivety in front of goal.
The win ensures that Nigeria will play in the semi-final of the Championship, where they will face Ivory Coast.