U17 Afconq Nigeria 0-2 Ghana: Golden Eaglets miss out on final after loss to Black Starlets

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria fell short of expectations on Tuesday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ghana’s Black Starlets in the semi-final of the WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifiers in Yamoussoukro, missing out on a guaranteed ticket to next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The encounter began with promise for Nigeria, who carved out the first big chance of the game in the third minute, but Georga Agha squandered the opportunity by firing high from inside the box. 

The Eaglets continued to push, yet Ghana grew into the contest and made their dominance count.

In the 23rd minute, Michael Awuli broke the deadlock with a composed finish, sending the Black Starlets ahead. 

Just eight minutes later, Robinho Yao Gavi doubled the advantage with a fine strike from the edge of the box, leaving goalkeeper Dominic Chinedu with no chance.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Nigeria returned determined to find a way back.

 Innocent Wisdom went close in the 54th minute, forcing the Ghanaian goalkeeper into a save, but the resulting corner was wasted. 

Despite flashes of pressure, the Golden Eaglets could not break through.

Manu Garba’s side will now turn their focus to Friday’s third-place playoff against Burkina Faso.

Wale Adejumo

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