By Victor Kanayo
The Gambia on Friday March 3, 2023, thrashed South Sudan 5-0 in the quarter-final encounter to set-up a semi-final clash against Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Egypt.
The semi-final match is scheduled for Monday.
In beating Sudan silly, Gambia also booked a spot in the upcoming FIFA U20 World Cup scheduled for Indonesia later in the year.
To get to the last four stage and step into Indonesia, Nigeria dismissed Uganda 1-0 in the quarter-final on Thursday night.
An own goal by Ugandan Defender, Ibrahim Juma, in a panicky touch, following Ibrahim Muhammad’s shot that rattled the upright, sent the Flying Eagles to the semi-final and also earned a FIFA U20 World Cup ticket, for Nigeria’s 13th appearance at the global finals.
It was the same goal margin, Senegal beat another West African side Benin to land in the youth World Cup, and at the same time progressed to the semis.
At U20 AFCON, Nigeria have been winners seven times, finished as runners-up twice and been bronze medallists three times.
At the global level, the Flying Eagles have been silver medallists on two occasions and won the bronze medals once, as well as reaching the quarter finals when Nigeria hosted in 1999, in Canada in 2007 and in Colombia in 2011.
Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has told the country’s U20 boys to focus their minds on winning Monday’s semi-final clash.
Speaking to the players and officials, Gusau lauded the spirited efforts of the squad and implored them to do even better against the opponents in the last four.
