Breaking: Super Eagles clinch Unity Cup with thrilling penalty shootout win over Jamaica

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

In a nerve-racking Unity Cup final clash, the Super Eagles of Nigeria triumphed over Jamaica in a dramatic penalty shootout on Saturday, sealing a 5-4 victory after a pulsating 2-2 draw in regulation time.

Nigeria twice seized the lead through electric strikes from Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze, but the Jamaicans refused to back down, clawing back on both occasions to drag the tie into penalties.

With the tension sky-high, the Super Eagles kept their cool, converting all their spot-kicks with clinical precision.

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged the hero of the night, pulling off a crucial save that tipped the balance in Nigeria’s favour.

The pressure fell on debutant Christantus Uche, who coolly dispatched the final kick, sparking wild celebrations as the Super Eagles lifted the Unity Cup in style.

The Nigerian side had earlier stunned long-time rivals Ghana with a thrilling 2-1 victory in the Unity Cup semifinal on Wednesday night.

It took just 14 minutes for Nigeria to flex their dominance as Cyriel Dessers struck with lethal precision, burying the opener off an assist from S. Ismail.

Moments later, Ghana’s night turned chaotic when Razak Simpson disastrously turned the ball into his own net, handing Nigeria a comfortable 2-0 lead and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The Black Stars finally found a spark in the 70th minute through substitute Brandon Asante-Thomas, who fired past Nigeria’s keeper to claw one back and inject tension into the final stretch. But it wasn’t enough.