2nd December, 2012
Bamidele Olowosoagba
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets Sunday evening booked a place at Morocco 2013 African Junior Championship, AJC, when they defeated the Junior Eagles of Mali 2-0 in Bamako.
Widely touted as the future Nigerian senior football team, the Manu Garba-tutored side took charge of the second leg, final qualifying match right from the blast of Guinean referee Ahmed Sekou Toure’s whistle.
Despite the unfriendly atmosphere created by the home crowd at the Stade Mamadou Konate, Nigerian midfielder Alhassan Ibrahim,who scored Eaglets’ second goal during the first leg in Calabar a fortnight ago, assisted striker Success Isaac to score the first goal in the 23rd minute.
Eaglets’ midfielder Bernard Bulbwa nailed the coffin of the home side when he scored the second goal in the 55th minute to complete a 2-0 away win, and 4-0 aggregate victory for Nigeria.
The victory however sealed Nigeria’s first outing at the Africa’s junior championship since the country lifted the trophy in 2007 in Togo.
The Eaglets failed to qualify for the 2009 championship held in Algeria and missed out in the 2011 tourney in Rwanda.
The other countries that have qualified for Morocco 2013 AJC are Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Congo-Brazzaville and hosts Morocco.
The draw ceremony of the championship will hold in Cairo, Egypt next Sunday alongside that of the U-20 African Youth Championship, AYC holding in March 2013 in Algeria.