U17 Afconq Benin 1-4 Nigeria: George Agha steals the show with hat-trick for Golden Eaglets

Golden Eaglets striker George Agha was in superb form, netting a hat-trick to inspire Nigeria to a commanding 4-1 win over Benin Republic in the WAFU Zone B tournament, which serves as qualifiers for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations.

The young forward bagged the first-ever hat-trick since the start of the tournament, putting Nigeria in a strong position to advance from Group B.

He opened the scoring as early as the second minute with a well-placed penalty that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

Captain David Eden then doubled the lead just three minutes later, curling in a stunning free kick from near the corner flag into the roof of the net, with the Benin goalkeeper unable to respond.

In the 14th minute, Agha grabbed his second of the match, calmly finishing off a fine cross from Sadiq Salihu to extend Nigeria’s lead, as the Young Cheetahs struggled to contain the Eaglets’ relentless attack.

The Golden Eaglets soon stretched their advantage further, with Agha completing his hat-trick, the first of the tournament, by slotting home from close range to tighten Nigeria’s grip on the game.

Benin, however, managed a late response before halftime as Jeremy Zannou fired into the bottom corner to earn the Young Cheetahs a consolation goal heading into the break.

The Young Cheetahs came out stronger in the second half, pushing for a comeback, but the Golden Eaglets remained solid and held on to secure the win.

The result places Nigeria at the top of Group B with three points and a superior goal difference, setting up a decisive showdown against Burkina Faso to determine who finishes as group leaders.

Adeyemi Adewale

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