May 12, (THEWILL) – On Wednesday, Nigeria’s U-20 squad drew with the Junior Etalons of Burkina Faso and thereby, qualified for the semi-finals of the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Niamey, at the Stade General Seyni Kountché.
Coach Ladan Bosso charges took the lead twice, but the Junior Etalons fought back and levelled the scores each time. The opener came through the boots of Ibrahim Muhammad in the first half, but Burkina Faso equalised from the penalty spot.
In the second half, the Flying Eagles won a penalty as well and Ibrahim Yahaya converted beautifully to restore the lead for Nigeria. However, the Junior Etalons pushed deep to score an equaliser late in the fixture.
While the Flying Eagles have already qualified for the semi-finals, Burkina Faso must now avoid defeat against Ghana this weekend in order to advance.
The Black Satellites, who were defeated 2-0 by Nigeria in their group opener, need an outright victory to remain in contention.
Only the finalists of the WAFU B Championship in Niamey will be eligible for the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, which will be held in Egypt between February and March next year.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
