Nigeria have walked away with the Bronze medal at the WAFU Zone B U-17 Championships after beating their Ghanaian counterparts 3-2 in the third-place play-off at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
An injury-time strike by Abdul Muheez Adeleke ensured that Nigeria came from 2-1 down to beat their archrivals and hosts on Tuesday.
Both teams had faced disappointment in the semi-finals after failing to make it to the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
While Nigeria lost by a lone goal to Ivory Coast, Ghana were beaten 2-1 by Burkina Faso.
Ghana’s coach, Laryea Kingston, announced his resignation after that game, stirring controversy.
With Assistant Nana Kwesi Agyemang in charge, the Black Starlets rallied from an early goal down to secure a 2-1 lead before the half-hour mark. Defender Herve Gbafa scored both goals.
However, the Nigerians found the needed equaliser before the break.
Both sides failed to add to their tally in full regulation time but with the match heading to penalties, Adeleke stepped up to capitalise on a counter attack to score for his side.
His first effort after the counter-attack hit the cross bar but he made no mistake with his second after the Ghanaian defence failed to clear the lines.
The final will be between La Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
