Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – (African Boulevard News) – It was a heartbreaking moment for the Nigerian U17 team on Thursday as they lost to Burkina Faso in a quarter-final match at the Africa U17 Cup in Algiers. The Golden Eaglets were edged out 2-1 by Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons in a fiercely contested game.
Despite dominating possession for the majority of the match and creating numerous chances, the Golden Eaglets failed to convert their opportunities into goals. In contrast, Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons took advantage of the few opportunities that came their way to secure a hard-fought victory.
The first half was evenly matched, with both teams creating chances but failing to capitalize on them. However, Burkina Faso took the lead in the 48th minute through a well-taken goal by Inoussa Zoungrana.
Nigeria responded positively and pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Their efforts were rewarded in the 71st minute when Divine Nwachukwu scored a stunning long-range effort to level the scores.
Despite the setback, Burkina Faso remained resolute and continued to press forward. Their efforts paid off in the 84th minute when Ismael Diallo scored the decisive goal to secure a 2-1 victory for the Young Etalons.
The defeat means that Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2021 U17 World Cup have been extinguished. Burkina Faso, on the other hand, will progress to the semi-finals of the Africa U17 Cup where they will face off against the winner of the match between Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
Speaking after the match, Nigeria’s U17 coach, Fatai Amoo, lamented his team’s inability to convert their chances into goals. “It’s a very painful defeat for us. We had so many chances to score but we couldn’t take them. That’s football for you, you have to take your chances when they come,” Amoo said.
The defeat is a wake-up call for Nigeria’s U17 team as they look to bounce back in their next match. As for Burkina Faso, their victory over Nigeria has put them in a good position to qualify for the U17 World Cup, and they will be hoping to build on their performance in the next round of the Africa U17 Cup.
