Publication date: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Ghana and Nigeria secured their place in the Total Energy U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with impressive wins in the semi-finals of the WAFU B Qualifying Championship on Sunday.
Ghana came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1, while Nigeria overwhelmed Niger Republic 3-1, setting up the much-anticipated final between the West African rivals.
Ghana’s Black Satellites struggled from the beginning of the match against Baby Elephants, and Ivory Coast took the lead in the 18th minute when Lukou Jaures exploited a gap in defense and conceded a goal.
Ghana struggled to regain the initiative and went into half-time on the back foot, but they came back with renewed vigor.
In the 47th minute, Ghana’s relentless pressure allowed the Ivorian defense to score an own goal, leveling the score at 1-1.
The momentum swung in Ghana’s favor and they came close to winning. Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute, when forward Jerry Afriyie hit a decisive shot into the box to earn them a penalty.
Afriyie calmly stepped up and converted, giving Ghana a 2-1 lead and ultimately qualifying for the U-20 AFCON.
Afriyie’s winning goal earned him Man of the Match honors and was a pivotal moment in Ghana’s qualification.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles battled with a spirited performance from Niger.
Niger took the lead in the first 10 minutes, but Nigeria responded well.
The 35th-minute equalizer gave the Flying Eagles a breather and they continued to press, breaking through Niger’s defense in the second half to take a 2-1 lead.
Niger’s counter-attack attempt left a gap at the back, which Nigeria took advantage of to extend their lead to 3-1 and secure qualification to both the WAFU-B finals and the U-20 AFCON.
As the final whistle rang, Nigeria celebrated a hard-earned victory and qualified for the tournament finals with Ghana on October 30, 2024, a clash of West African footballing powerhouses.
