NIGERIA braved the odds to qualify for the semi-finals of the WAFU Cup of Nations after handing a 2-0 defeat to hosts Ghana in one of the last round of group A matches decided on Monday. The match was played at the Cape Coast Stadium.
The victory leaves Nigeria with five points to place second behind Ghana, who had earlier won their first two group matches against Guinea and Mali.
Nigeria’s two goals were scored by Anthony Okpotu and Moses Peters. Okpotu’s goal – the country’s first in the group stage – came in the 52nd minute, after the highest goalscorer in the just ended NPFL season had almost put his side ahead in the first half.
The Lobi Stars player’s effort in the 12th minute play was cleared off the goal line by Vincent Atingah. Peters scored Nigeria’s second goal three minutes after Okpotu had separated both sides. Peters later emerged the Most Valuable Player of the match.
Okpotu was later replaced in the 77th minute with Gabriel Okechukwu.
In the other last round of group A match played at the Nduom Sports Stadium, Elmina, Camara Abdoulaye was the hero and villian as he accounted for his country, Guinea’s goal and Mali’s equaliser.
Abdoulaye, winner of the Most Valuable Player award in the Nigeria-Guinea fixture last Saturday, had shot his country ahead in the seventh minute of play. Mali’s efforts to level up were unsuccessful until the 78th minute of the match when Abdoulaye forced the ball into his own net for Mali’s equaliser. Interestingly, he was voted the Most Valuable Player of the match.
By these results, Ghana and Nigeria have scaled through into the semis, while Guinea and Mali have exited the tournament.
Nigeria will now face the winners of Group B in the semi-final.
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