WAFU B: Ivory Coast Gift Nigeria Qualification Ticket

The Baby Elephants crushed the Black Starlets on Tuesday to help the Golden Eaglets advance to the semifinals of the regional championships

Nigeria are through to the next round of the WAFU B U-17 Tournament after Ivory Coast secured a 3-1 victory over Ghana at the ongoing Africa U17 Cup of Nations Qualification in Lome, Togo.

The Golden Eaglets lost their first match at the tournament 1-0 to the Little Elephants and drew their second game 1-1 against the Starlets.

With one point to their name, the coach Fatai Amoo-led side faced elimination from the tournament unless Ivory Coast could beat Ghana by at least a two-goal margin.

And the Ivorians did the Nigerians a huge favour by out-witting and outclassing the Ghanaians, who would rue a string of missed chances especially in the second half.

Ivory Coast end the group stages as winners with a maximum of six points while Nigeria and Ghana boast a point apiece.

But the five-time world champions Nigeria advance in second place with a better goal difference of -1 to Ghana’s -2.

Nigeria next clash with Group A winners Burkina Faso, with the victor of that clash booking their spot at the African U-17 Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco later in the year.