18th March, 2024
By Aderonke Ojo
Nigeria’s Under-20 female football team, the Falconets, on Monday reached the finals of the women’s football event at the 13th African Games in Ghana.
They defeated their Ugandan counterparts 2-0 in the semi-finals of their match at Cape Coast Stadium.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Falconets have therefore boosted their quest to reach clinch the gold medal in their event.
Monday’s encounter was closely contested with both teams vying fir a spot in the finals.
Falconets had beaten Morocco 2-0 in their first match before a 4-0 humbling of Senegal in their second group B game to qualify for the semi-finals.
Both teams had pushed for a breakthrough in the first half of the match which ended goalless.
Substitutes, Adaobi Okoh and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, scored the goals that lifted the Nigerians over Ugandans for a place in the finals of the African Games 2023.
The Uganda fought well until Okoh, who replaced Olushola Shobowale, found the back of the net in the 74th minute with her first touch in the game.
Okwuchukwu added the second goal in the 89th minute to give Nigeria the desired victory.
The Falconets will face the winner of the second semi-finals between hosts, Ghana, and Senegal.
The looser in the second semi-finals will meet Uganda in the bronze medal’s match of the women’s football event.
The Falconets won the gold medal in the event at the 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019.
The 13th African Games, which started March 8, will be rounded off on March 23.
The ongoing games are being held across three cities: Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.