WAFU U-17: Nigeria and Ghana Clash for Third Place After World Cup Miss

 

The West African Football Union (WAFU) B U-17 third-place final between Nigeria's Golden Eaglets and Ghana will take place on Tuesday evening at the University Stadium. This highly anticipated match follows both teams' semi-final defeats over the weekend.

 

Nigeria lost 1-0 to Côte d’Ivoire, while Ghana was defeated 2-1 by Burkina Faso. These losses pushed both teams into the bronze medal match and dashed their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled for 2025.

 

With pride and regional dominance at stake, Nigeria and Ghana aim to finish the WAFU U-17 Zone B tournament on a high note. The match is expected to showcase young talents and resilience from both sides, especially after missing out on the World Cup tickets. Only Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso secured spots for the U-17 World Cup by reaching the final of the WAFU U-17 Zone B tournament.

 

The kick-off for the third-place final is set for 3 pm. Speaking to DAILY POST, former TTC Football Academy coach Emmanuel Brown shared his thoughts on the upcoming match. Brown expressed disappointment in both teams for failing to reach the final and secure a World Cup ticket.

 

"I was a bit disappointed that Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets did not make it to the final, considering they are the defending champions," Brown told DAILY POST. He attributed their performance to inadequate preparation and issues like the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test problems in camp. "The coach and his players did not have enough and good preparation for the tournament, which showed during the competition. They missed several chances in their last group game against Togo and did not perform well against Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-final."

 

Brown also expected Ghana to reach the final but noted that they did not capitalize on their advantage as the host nation. Their coach, Laryea Kingston, even retired after the semi-final defeat to Burkina Faso.

 

Regarding the third-place final between Nigeria and Ghana, Brown expects a close and thrilling encounter, filled with passion and determination from both teams. "The match will be more than just a consolation game. It will be an opportunity to salvage pride and end the tournament on a positive note despite missing out on next year’s World Cup tickets. It will be an open game with a 50-50 chance. Any team that takes its chances in front of goal will emerge the winner," he concluded.