Gusau tips Flying Eagles to win WAFU B U-20 Championship

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has tipped the national U-20 male football team, the Flying Eagles, to beat their Ghanaian counterparts to retain their WAFU B U-20 Championship title.

Nigeria defeated Niger Republic 3-1 in one of the semifinals on Sunday to qualify for the final of the championship slated for tomorrow, in Lome, Togo. The semifinal victory also gave Nigeria a FIFA U-20 World Cup ticket, and passage to the African U-20 Nations Cup.

Speaking on the final game last Sunday, Gusau commended the Flying Eagles for their fighting spirit, which led them to the final, saying that the team has been improving with every game.

He said: “I watched their first match against Burkina Faso (which they lost 0-1) but the team has continued to improve with every match since then.

“The NFF is delighted with their performance. We believe they have what it takes to go all the way and successfully defend their title against the Ghanaians in Wednesday’s final.”

Nigeria came from behind to beat Niger Republic’s Junior Mena in Lome, in the process earning a ticket to next year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

The neighbours to the North went in front after only nine minutes of the second semifinal at the Stade Kegue, but just as they did against Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, the seven-time African champions were unruffled.

Instead, they found a better shape and dominated afterwards, scoring three marvelous goals that took them to the Final, where they clash with West African arch-rivals Ghana, who had earlier seen off Cote d’Ivoire 2-1.

Against the run of play, the Junior Mena came close to doubling their advantage in the 33rd minute, but Nigeria survived and shortly after, found the equalizer that their endeavour merited.

Clinton Jephta finished with aplomb from outside the box to put Flying Eagles on level terms in the 35th minute, after an eye-catching interchange of passes among Kparobo Arierhi, Abba Maigari and Nasiru Salihu.

Jephta was on song again 13 minutes after the restart, putting Nigeria ahead for the first time in the match, and goalkeeper Ifeanyi Harcourt deserves praise for his excellent saves that maintained Nigeria’s advantage.

The Flying Eagles netted the third in added time, through Olalekan Alonge.