U-20 AFCON: Poor Flying Eagles Pick World Cup Ticket

• Pip hosts, Niger 1-0 for s-final berth

BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – An uninspiring Flying Eagles of Nigeria on Friday struggled to pick a ticket for 22nd edition of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup tournament holding in Poland between May 23 and June 15 2019.

The team performed the feat by dislodging tournament hosts, Niger Republic, 1-0 in their final Group A match at the on-going 2019 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Niamey.

The victory means Nigeria has qualified for the semi-finals of the competition as well as secured their berth as one of Africa’s fourn representatives at the biennial international men’s youth soccer championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA come May 2019.

Played at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey, the Coach Paul Aigbogun-tutored side again delivered another uninspiring performance in defeating the Junior Mena in the hard-fought crucial tie.

The only goal of the match came from Adamu Alhassan after the Flying Eagles missed a golden opportunity to score early when, in the fourth minute of play, Nafizi Yahaya missed the only clear chance the team created during the first 45 minutes of the encounter.

Disappointedly, the seven-times winners of the competition continued their unimpressive display in the second half of the match until the 51st minute when Mohammed Jamil’s header forced a brilliant save from the Nigerien goalkeeper.

However, the deadlock was broken in the 73rd minute through Alhassan’s free-kick, which beat the Niger goalkeeper to hand Aigbogun’s side their second win in the competition.

With this victory, the Flying Eagles topped Group A with seven points, followed by South Africa with five points after defeating Burundi 1-0 in the other match of the day

The defeats left Niger Republic and Burundi crashing out of the competition as both finished third and last in the group with two points and one point respectively.

Nigeria is now expected to tackle the Group B’s runners up in the semi-finals slated for Wednesday, February 13, while the Amajitas of South Africa will have a date with Group B winners, Senegal.

Before today’s (Satyrday) final Group B matches, Ghana and Mali occupied second and third spots respectively with both teams in contention for a second place finish having amassed the same points.

The 2019 Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations, now in its 15th edition, kicked off on Saturday, February 2 and is expected to end on Sunday, February 17.  – With agency reports