By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted November 15, 2024
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles retained their WAFU U20 title with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana in the final held in Lome, Togo. Forward Kparobo Arierhi was the hero of the match, netting a brace to seal the win.
The Flying Eagles dominated the first half, displaying skill and control, but Ghana came out stronger in the second half, making it a more challenging affair.
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Arierhi’s first goal came in the 34th minute. The Flying Eagles surged down the right, and Arierhi received a pass near the box’s edge. With composure, he slotted a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, leaving the Ghanaian keeper stranded.
Goalkeeper Harcourt also proved instrumental, making crucial saves, including a clever palm-down on a 14th-minute header and a punch save in added time to deny Ghana an equalizer.
Nigeria’s resilience and clinical finishing allowed them to defend their title successfully, marking another triumph in West African youth football.
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The second was more spectacular. Nigerian manfully snatched the ball half-way into the Satellites’ area, and a couple of passes left Kparobo, who plays his club football for Beyond Limits FC, and had scored Nigeria’s winner in the 2-1 win over Cote d’Ivoire in the group phase, face to face with the goalkeeper. Without any attempt at showboating, he unleashed a right-footed rocket right into the roof of the net.
On the hour, Nigeria had to spiritedly clear their lines as the Black Satellites, in a rare onslaught, picked the pockets of several defenders and got the ball past goalkeeper Harcourt.
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Five minutes later, Nigeria again escaped through stout defending as a flurry of shots from inside and outside the box simply failed to get the ball beyond Harcourt.
The pressure finally paid off for the Ghanaians in the 74th minute, as they reduced the tally following a goalmouth melee.
However, the Flying Eagles held on to retain their trophy won two years ago in Niger Republic, and with Kparobo Arierhi collecting the Man-of-the-Match award.
Nigeria and Ghana will represent WAFU B at next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, to be hosted by South Africa.