By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria late Sunday night booked its place in the final of the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship.
That was after the country’s U20 lads mostly known as the Flying Eagles came from behind to defeat Niger Republic’s Junior Mena in Lome, in the process earning a ticket to next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
The neighbours to the north went in front after only nine minutes of the second semi-final 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 the 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.
The Nigerian team will now face Ghana in the final of WAFU B tournament.
Ghana beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 in the other semi-final clash.
