Defending champions, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria, advanced to the final of the WAFU B U-20 Championship following a thrilling 4-3 victory on penalties against Niger Republic on Sunday. The exciting match ended goalless after 90 minutes.
Divine Oliseh and Muhammed Abdullahi squandered good chances for Nigeria in the first half.
Niger Republic came close to scoring late in the first half; however, goalkeeper Harcourt made a fine save to keep the score at 0-0 going into the break. The Flying Eagles struggled to break the deadlock despite dominating possession in the second half.
Aliyu Zubairu’s side triumphed in the shootout, with Harcourt making two crucial saves. Captain Daniel Bameyi converted the decisive penalty for the defending champions.
Nigeria will now await the winners of the second semi-final between hosts Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
