AYG: Nigeria Opens With Victory

The Nigeria National Under 15 team on Thursday defeated host Botswana 2-0 in the opening game of the football event at the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana.

Two strikes from supporting striker Nasifi Yahaya, in the 4th and 90th minutes of the game ensured that the coach Danladi Nasidi led side silenced the huge crowed at the Botswana National stadium.

Assistant coach of the Nigeria team, Haruna Ilerika in a telephone conversation with team’s Media Officer, Bunmi Haruna revealed that his team would not relent in their effort to win gold.

“Between you and me, Bunmi, Nigeria can win this tournament,” said Ilerika, whose team play Mali on Sunday.

In the other match of the day, Swaziland held South Africa to a 3-3 draw.

In a change of tournament format, all six teams participating in the football event will engage each other in a round-robin format, the two best placed teams on the table will then play each other in the final to determine who takes gold.

Six teams, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Mali registered for the football event of the 2014 Africa Youth Games, DR Congo and Gabon pulled out.