Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have qualified for the Final of the ongoing WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament in Ghana after a tense encounter against their Niger Republic counterparts, culminating in a penalty shootout that ended 4-3 following a scoreless 90 minutes.
Sporting Lagos Goalkeeper, Ifeanyi Harcourt, was the hero, saving two out of four kicks from the Niger Republic players.
The Flying Eagles exhibited determination throughout the match but struggled to convert several scoring opportunities. On the other hand, the Nigeriens adopted a strong defensive stance.
The first half saw the Flying Eagles record three shots off target, while the opponents did not have any sight of the Nigerian goal.
In the second half, the Cup holders stepped up their attacking efforts, showcasing robust intent to break through the organized Nigerien defence, which utilized a solid formation with seven players focused on containment.
With the encounter still goalless after regulation time, the teams moved to a penalty shootout. The Nigerien side saw their first kick saved by Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.
Similarly, Nigerian defender Tahir Maigana missed his kick.
However, the Flying Eagles displayed resilience and confidence in the shootout, successfully converting four of their penalties while the Niger Republic managed to score only two.
Team captain, Bameyi, scored the last kick to send the Flying Eagles into the WAFU B U20 Boys final.
The result sends the Flying Eagles to the Final of the competition and will confront the winner of the second semi-final, between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, in the Final.
Ghana will battle Côte d’Ivoire in the second semi-final of the WAFU B U20 Boys competition on Monday.
