Nigeria held their nerve to secure a place in the
semi-finals of the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, defeating defending
champions Senegal 3-1 on penalties.
JLN reports that this was after a goalless draw in
regulation and extra time at the Suez Canal Stadium on Monday.
The West African giants renewed their fierce rivalry
in a tense quarter-final that saw both sides create scoring chances, but
ultimately fail to break the deadlock in 120 minutes of pulsating action.
The Flying Eagles, unbeaten in the group stages,
maintained their composure in the shootout with spot kicks expertly converted
by Precious Benjamin, Emmanuel Chukwu and Israel Ayuma.
Senegal, by contrast, faltered under pressure — Pierre
Dorival’s, effort was saved, while Mame Mor Faye’s was denied, and Ousmane
Konaté crashed his attempt off the crossbar.
Seydi Diouck netted Senegal’s only penalty, but it was
not enough to prevent the reigning champions from exiting the tournament.
The result marks Nigeria’s eighth successive
quarter-final win at the U-20 AFCON under the current format.
They now advance to the semi-finals, where they will
look to maintain their record of never losing a semi-final tie in this
competition.
Despite the final scoreline, both sides had moments
where they could have clinched victory in open play.
Nigeria’s Kparobo Arierhi and Divine Oliseh each
forced saves from Senegal keeper Mouhamed Sissokho, while Senegal’s Cheikh
Thiam came agonisingly close in the 42nd minute with a header that rattled the
post.
As the match wore on, fatigue set in but the
determination from both camps never wavered.
Nigeria’s tactical substitutions — including the
introduction of Precious Benjamin and Rickson Mendos — added attacking impetus
late on.
Senegal, on their part, reshuffled to find a
breakthrough with the likes of Seydi Diouck and Mame Mor Faye.
Extra time saw Nigeria press with renewed energy.
Tahir Maigana’s curling strike in the 106th minute
drew a fine stop from Sissokho, while Israel Ayuma’s long-range effort two
minutes later also required intervention.
Yet, despite Nigeria’s dominance in the closing
stages, the deadlock remained.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who had gone
largely untested in the shootout, emerged as a quiet hero.
His save against Mame Mor Faye’s spot kick proved
pivotal in tilting the balance.
Senegal, who came into the tie with a strong defensive
record and ambitions to retain their crown, were ultimately undone by Nigeria’s
discipline and precision in the decisive moments.
The result also marked their first loss in a knockout
match since 2017.
In a post-match interview, Nigeria head coach Aliyu
Zubairu praised his side’s resilience.
“We prepared for all scenarios, including penalties.
“I’m proud of the boys for executing under pressure,”
he said.
With this result, Nigeria also earned a spot in the
U-20 World Cup, scheduled for Chile from Sept. 27 to Oct. 19.
With this result, Nigeria move one step closer to a
record-extending eighth U20 AFCON title, while Senegal will now reflect on what
could have been after a hard-fought campaign.
The victory also earned Nigeria a spot in the U-20
World Cup slated for Sept. 27 to Oct. 19. in Chile.
The four semi-finalists from the on-going U-20 AFCON
automatically qualifies to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in
Chile.
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