The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria have booked their spot in the semifinals of the WAFU U17 Championship following a 3-0 win over Togo on Thursday, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Nigerian side, who needed just a point to progress, walloped the Togolese side to finish top of the group at the expense of Burkina Faso. Abdulmuiz Adeleke’s brace and another goal from Rapha Adams was all Manu Garba’s wards needed to secure the win in style.
The final Group B games which should have gone ahead on Wednesday were postponed due to torrential rainfall that rendered the pitches unplayable. However, when the games eventually went ahead almost 24 hours later, the Nigerians showed their class and superiority.
Adeleke handed the Golden Eaglets an early lead after he was was set up by Abdulmuiz Oladimeji. Midway through the first half, Nigeria doubled their lead through Adams. Adeleke showed great strength to win back possession before playing the ball to skipper Simon Cletus whose teasing cross was met by an unmarked Adams.
Garba’s wards kept the pressure on even after the resumption of play in the second half. Adeleke went on to complete his brace after the Togolese failed to clear their lines. The forward could have grabbed a hat-trick late on but he sent his spot-kick wide of the post.
By virtue of the win, Nigeria finished top of the group ahead of Burkina Faso – who defeated Niger 1-0 in the other match.
The Golden Eaglets will now face Cote d’Ivoire in the semifinal of the competition on Saturday for a place in the AFCON tournament.
