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WILL NIGER REPUBLIC TRUNCATE NIGERIA’S CONTINENTAL AMBITION AGAIN?

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

 

Nigeria’s most successful team, the U-17 side, aptly tagged ‘Golden Eaglets’ will be up against their Niger Republic this Wednesday evening in the second to the last leap into continental championship in Tanzania next year.

The Golden Eaglets are five-times World Cup holders – a record! Given the standing of Nigeria in football, the encounter with their Northern neighbours should not have given any cause for concern. But as the adage goes, once beaten twice shy!

The Niger side was responsible for the elimination of the Golden Eaglets from qualifying for the continental championship, let alone getting to defend their global honours two years ago.

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The first leg at home, Nigeria laboured to a 1-0 win only to lose the return leg in Niamey, 3-1 and the winning goal coming on the dot of 90 minute.

Both teams return to the same ground this Wednesday. Although technically, Nigeria are the host sides having topped Group B, but realistically, it is Niger Republic that will be playing before the home crowd.

The match comes up after the first semi-final duel of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. The two finalists will then contest for a place in the final continental tournament in Tanzania next year.

Apart from the U-17 tournament, Niger Republic had eight years prevented Nigeria from qualifying for the 2011 African Nations Championship after inflicting a 2-0 win over the home-based Super Eagles and frustrated the side to a barren draw in the return leg.

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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