WAFU B U-17: Golden Eaglets Secure Their First Win Against Niger

The Golden Eaglets earned a 1-0 victory over Niger in the WAFU Zone B U-17 AFCON qualifiers.
Despite a red card for Okorie Chibuike, Nigeria held their lead.
They now face Togo in a decisive match for a semi-final spot.

Eko Hot Blog reports that after a goaless draw in their first match against Burkina Faso on Thursday, the Golden Eaglets clinched a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Niger, marking their first win in the WAFU Zone B U-17 AFCON qualifiers.

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Coach Manu Garba made two alterations to the team that played against Burkina Faso, giving Oreoluwa Agbenla and Abdul Muiz Adeleke their first starts.

Four minutes later, the Eaglets missed another golden opportunity when no one connected with Rapha Adams’ superb cross into the danger zone.

However, in the 27th minute, Nigeria faced a tense moment when Niger created a chance to test the Eaglets’ goalkeeper, but the shot went over the crossbar.

This close call served as a wake-up call for the Eaglets.

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In the 31st minute, Adams scored a powerful header, securing Nigeria’s first win of the tournament.

The striker nearly doubled the lead seven minutes later, but his shot went wide, keeping the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

Nigeria began the second half with the same intensity as the first, with Adams and Adeleke posing scoring threats but failing to find the back of the net.

Garba’s team faced an even tougher challenge when Okorie Chibuike was shown a red card in the 63rd minute, reducing them to 10 men.

In the 73rd minute, Niger nearly scored from a corner kick, but the header went off target.

The victory brought the five-time world champions to four points, level with Burkina Faso, ahead of the final Group B matches on Wednesday.

The Eaglets will face Togo, the group’s bottom team, at the Accra Sports Stadium, while Burkina Faso will play against three-point Niger Republic at the University of Accra Stadium.