Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets advanced into the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Algeria following a 3-2 win over South Africa’s Amajimbo in a Group B decider in Constantine on Saturday night.
With both nations having a similar record of a win and a draw from their first two group matches and Morocco already securing one of the two quarter-finals slots for Group B, Nigeria and South Africa had everything to fight for in the game.
Barely six minutes into the crucial tie, Nigeria found themselves behind after Vicky Mkhawana scored from the first corner kick of the game to put South Africa upfront. Four minutes later, Eaglets would grab what they thought was an equaliser but was ruled out for offside.
In the 33rd minute, Charles Agada finally levelled the tie for the Eaglets through a header from a corner kick but the South Africans were determined to prove a point over the five-time World Champion with Siyabonga Mabena scoring in the first-half stoppage time to return them back into the lead.
Two minutes after the break, Light Eke who was named in the starting lineup for the first time in the tournament, equalised for the Eaglets for the second time in the match and the scoreline remained the same for the next quarter of an hour.
Nigeria was able to take the lead for the first time in the 63rd minute with Abubakar Abdullahi’s goal which later proved to be the winning goal and sent the Golden Eaglets straight into the quarter-finals of the U-17 AFCON.
Nigeria finished the group as first runners-up with six points from three games behind Morocco who also ended with six points but with superior goals difference.
Golden Eaglets will play Group C runners up which could be either their counterparts from Burkina Faso or Cameroon for a place in the semi-finals.
