Golden Eaglets advance to U-17 AFCON quarter-finals after defeating South Africa 3-2
Nigeria's under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, has progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2023 under-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament following a comeback victory against South Africa. Despite going down twice in the match, Nigeria managed to overturn the deficit to win 3-2. Coach Nduka Ugbade praised his team's mental resilience and ability to learn from their mistakes, attributing the victory to their strong mentality. Nigeria's opening goal came in the 6th minute, but South Africa responded with two goals. The Golden Eaglets equalized in the 46th minute and then scored the winning goal just after the hour mark.
Ugbade gave insight into the team's preparation ahead of the match, noting that they had identified and corrected their previous psychological errors. He said, "We worked a bit in training and we did some corrections. We realized that it was purely psychological, and we talked to the players and we saw an improvement today. We might have conceded two, but I am glad we scored three."
The victory sees Nigeria finish second in the Group B standings, level on points with first-place Morocco, and progress to the quarter-finals. The Golden Eaglets will now face one of the top two teams in Group A.
The under-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which is being held in Algeria, features eight teams divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals. The tournament is seen as a crucial stepping stone for young African footballers, with many going on to have successful professional careers.
The Golden Eaglets have a strong track record in the tournament, having won it five times previously. The team's last triumph came in 2015, and they will be looking to add another title to their collection this year. However, with tough opposition to come, including potential matchups against defending champions Cameroon and host nation Algeria, the Golden Eaglets will need to be at their best to succeed.
Despite the challenges ahead, Ugbade expressed confidence in his team's ability, saying, "We are taking it one game at a time. The most important thing is to qualify and then we can think about the next game. We are a team to watch out for."