In a thrilling encounter at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui in Constantine, Nigeria's Golden Eaglets secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over South Africa's Amajimbos in their final Group B match of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
The win propelled Nigeria into the quarterfinals of the tournament, while South Africa also progressed as one of the best two third-placed teams.
The match kicked off with an early setback for Nigeria as South Africa's Vicky Mkhawana found the back of the net after just five minutes, giving the Amajimbos a 1-0 lead. The Eaglets seemed to have lost concentration in the early stages, reminiscent of their previous match against Morocco where they also conceded early.
However, they responded swiftly, with Abubakar Abdullahi missing a golden opportunity to equalize from close range in the 7th minute. Three minutes later, Charles Agada thought he had levelled the score with a well-taken shot, but it was ruled offside.
The Eaglets continued to press forward, and their persistence paid off in the 35th minute when Charles Agada scored a fine header from a corner kick, equalizing the score at 1-1.
Nigeria almost took the lead just before halftime, as Abdullahi came close to adding a second goal during two minutes of additional time.
However, in the dying moments of the half, South Africa struck again. Mkhawana turned provider, setting up Siyabonga Nicolas Mabena to restore the Amajimbos' lead. The half ended with South Africa ahead 2-1, leaving Nigeria with work to do in the second half.
The Eaglets came out of the break with renewed determination and quickly found an equalizer. One minute into the second half, Light Eke capitalized on a brilliant run by Agada, leveling the score at 2-2.
As the game approached the 64th minute, Nigeria seized the lead for the first time in the encounter. Abdullahi connected superbly with Emmanuel Michael's delivery, putting the Eaglets ahead 3-2 and sending the Nigerian supporters into jubilation.
The remaining minutes saw Nigeria piling on the pressure, looking to extend their lead and secure a more comfortable victory. However, the South African defence held firm, and despite several close calls, the scoreline remained unchanged.
The final whistle blew, and the Eaglets emerged victorious with a hard-fought 3-2 win.
The result ensured Nigeria's qualification to the quarterfinals as Group B runners-up, behind Morocco, who lost 1-2 to Zambia. South Africa also progressed to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
The Golden Eaglets' next challenge will be in the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the Group C match between defending champions Cameroon and Burkina Faso.
A win in that encounter will see Nigeria secure a much-coveted ticket to the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup later in the year.
