The Flying Eagles of Nigeria defeated rivals Senegal on Monday afternoon to book their spot at the semifinals of the ongoing CAF U20 African Cup of Nations, which also secured a spot at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
Goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt was the hero in the shootout success as the Nigeria U20 team overcame the defending champions, after a goalless encounter.
How it happened
Both sides had finished second in their respective groups with Nigeria second in Group B behind Morocco, while Senegal the defending champions, finished behind Ghana in Group C.
The Flying Eagles who started brightly, dominated the first half but were denied by a couple of brilliant saves by the opposition goalkeeper and poor finishing.
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Neither side found a goal in regulation time with Nigeria coming closest to breaking the deadlock, before the match went into extra time.
The Senegalese goalkeeper was superb in extra-time, producing two remarkable saves to deny substitute Tahir Maigana, before tipping over a free-kick that was destined for the top corner.
With no goal scored after 120 minutes of action, the game headed straight to penalties.
The Nigeria youngsters converted all three of their spotkicks while Harcourt continued his brilliant form as shown during the group stages, with two saves in the shootout.
The Sporting Lagos goalkeeper saved from Senegal’s Daly Tia and Doriba, as the Flying Eagles sealed a 3-1 win to advance to the last four of the continental event.
Nigeria qualifies for U20 World Cup
After suffering elimination at the hands of South Korea in the quarterfinals of the 2023 edition held in Argentina, the Nigeria U20 side will hope to perform better in Chile after claiming their ticket with the win over Senegal.
The Flying Eagles will be making their 14th appearance at the tournament, with their best performance being second-place finishes in 1989 and 2005, where they lost to Portugal and Argentina respectively.
The tournament is scheduled to hold between September 27 and October 19 later this year in Chile, with Nigeria the first African country to secure qualification.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
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