Burkina Faso defeated Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets for the second time in the CAF U-17 competition last Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Stade de Nelson Mandela in Algiers.
Burkina Faso had beaten the Golden Eaglets once in the competition before kickoff last Thursday night, while Nigeria had won twice, with no games ending in a draw.
Aboubacar Camara of Rahimo Football Club scored a brace for the Junior Stallions, giving them victory in the closely contested match.
Burkina Faso got their revenge after Algerian referee Youcef Gamouh blew the final whistle, having lost to Nigeria by the same scoreline in the WAFU Zone qualifier final.
The Golden Eaglets’ hopes of earning a record-extending 13th spot in the world championship as well as their pursuit of a third African championship were dashed, and Burkina Faso continued their pursuit of a second championship.
Nigeria will regret its missed opportunities, particularly in the first half when they twice hit the woodwork while the Stallions made the most of their opportunities.
Charles Agada, who is regarded in Nigeria as the Golden Eaglets’ third most prolific scorer behind Osimhen and Iheanacho, had a chance as soon as one minute and 29 seconds after receiving a pass from Tochukwu Ogbabido, but the goalkeeper made an outstanding one-on-one save.
Abubakar Abdullahi’s rasping shot from the edge of the box greased the crossbar in the seventh minute, and Agada’s close-range attempt bounced off the upright at the quarter-hour mark.
Burkina Faso picked up the pace in the final five minutes of the half, and Jeremiah Olaleke successfully cleared Camara’s shot off the line.
The 2011 African U-17 Champions, Burkina Faso, took the lead four minutes before halftime when Camara scored from close range after Nigerian defender Tochukwu Ogboji, who had scored an own goal against Morocco during the group stage, botched his clearance from inside the box.
Burkina Faso doubled their lead just 10 minutes into the second half, with Camara completing his hat trick from the penalty spot after Souleymane Alio was brought down inside the box by Ogboji.
Nigeria stepped up their offensive efforts in the face of a two-goal deficit, and in the 67th minute, Abdullahi scored from close range after a cross from Emmanuel Michael, halving the score.
The Golden Eaglets piled on the pressure in an attempt to force a draw and extend the game beyond 90 minutes, during which substitute Favour Daniel had a looping header pushed to the bar by the keeper, while Umar Abubakar had a curling free kick saved for a corner.
Burkina Faso will now travel back to Annaba, where they played their group matches, to face Senegal in the semifinals after Nigeria’s attempt to turn the game in their favour failed despite concerted efforts.
