Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets suffered a 2-1 defeat to Niger in their opening match at the ongoing U17 WAFU B Championship in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Wednesday.
The defeat means the Nigerian team must beat Côte d’Ivoire in their final group game on Saturday to secure a place in the semi-finals and keep their hopes of qualifying for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations alive.
Niger, who drew 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire in their opening match, needed a win to book their place in the semi-finals. They achieved their target with a strong performance against Nigeria.
The Golden Eaglets, led by coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere, struggled to create clear chances in the early stages of the match.
Their problems increased in the 20th minute when Abdoul Rasak Zada scored with a header after the Nigerian goalkeeper failed to handle a shot properly.
Nigeria went into the half-time break trailing by a goal and made changes in the second half in an attempt to get back into the game.
However, the Eaglets struggled to break through Niger’s defence and create clear scoring opportunities.
Three minutes before the end of normal time, Niger doubled their lead after a well-timed pass split the Nigerian defence, allowing their winger to finish confidently.
Substitute Mubarak Fasiu pulled one goal back for Nigeria in the 90th minute plus five, scoring a brilliant goal to give the Eaglets hope of a late comeback.
However, there was not enough time for Nigeria to find an equaliser as they suffered a disappointing opening-day defeat.
With the victory, Niger have secured their place in the semi-finals, while Nigeria must defeat Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday to keep their hopes of progressing in the tournament alive.
