Flying Eagles Crash Out of U-20 AFCON After Costly Goalkeeper Error vs South Africa

• Nigeria's Flying Eagles person mislaid 1-0 to South Africa successful the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations semifinal
• Goalkeeper mistake from Ajia Soliu Yakub led to South Africa’s winning extremity successful the 66th infinitesimal of the game
• Flying Eagles’ imagination of an eighth AFCON rubric ends successful heartbreak

Nigeria’s hopes of claiming an eighth U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) rubric person been dashed aft the Flying Eagles suffered a constrictive 1-0 decision to South Africa successful the semi-finals of the tournament.

The defeat, sealed by a second-half blunder from substitute goalkeeper Ajia Soliu Yakub, sees Nigeria exit the tourney successful melodramatic and disappointing fashion.

In a tense semifinal clash filled with end-to-end action, it was 1 infinitesimal of indecision that made each the difference, that outgo Aliyu Zubairu's squad a spot successful the final.

The crippled remained goalless until the 66th minute, erstwhile South Africa's Tylon Christopher Smith capitalised connected a costly mistake from Nigeria’s substitute goalkeeper.

Ajia Soliu Yakub, who had travel connected for injured first-choice goalkeeper Harcourt, wholly misjudged a transverse into the box.

Caught successful nary man’s land, Yakub near his extremity exposed, allowing Smith to caput location the lone extremity of the match.

It was a heartbreaking infinitesimal for the Flying Eagles, who were considered pre-match favourites to scope the final.

Late combat not capable for Flying Eagles

Despite going behind, Coach Aliyu Zubairu’s squad showed warring tone successful the last minutes.

Nigeria mounted a question of attacks, looking for a mode backmost into the game.

Midfielders and attackers pushed guardant successful hunt of an equaliser, but South Africa’s resolute defending and awesome goalkeeping unopen the door.

Several chances came and went, but each efforts were either off-target oregon well-saved. Ultimately, the Flying Eagles were incapable to interruption down the South African backline.

End of the roadworthy for Nigeria's rubric hopes

The decision means Nigeria volition not beryllium adding to their grounds 7 U-20 AFCON titles.

The Flying Eagles were chasing past but indispensable present bespeak connected what went wrong, particularly the antiaircraft lapses and missed opportunities that defined their semifinal performance.

Coach Aliyu volition present absorption connected regrouping the squad up of the U-20 FIFA World Cup aft sealing their spot successful Chile with the quarterfinal triumph versus Senegal.

For South Africa, it’s solemnisation clip arsenic they march into the last with a accidental to assertion continental glory.

Nigeria prima boasts of winning AFCON

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Flying Eagles midfielder Alabi Sulaiman shared his excitement about helping the squad suffice for the World Cup and expressed content that Nigeria could spell each the mode and triumph the tournament.

Sulaiman shared his thoughts aft the squad defeated Senegal to publication their spot successful the semifinals, wherever they volition look an arsenic awesome South African team.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles is the astir palmy broadside successful the tournament’s history, having won 7 titles successful 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, and 2015.

They person besides finished arsenic runners-up twice, underlining their long-standing dominance astatine the younker level successful African football.

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Source: Legit.ng