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Tag: U-20 AFCON

  • U-20 AFCON: Ghana players get US$10,000 each from government

    U-20 AFCON: Ghana players get US$10,000 each from government

    Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that each player of the Under-20 football team, the Black Satellites, will receive a gift of US$10,000 for winning the U-20 AFCON tournament in Mauritania last Saturday.

    The President said half of the amount would be given out in cash while the other half would be invested for 10 years.

    He made the promise on Tuesday when the players visited him on their return from Mauritania on Sunday.

    Ghana won the trophy after beating Uganda 2-0 in the final of the tournament.

    President Akufo-Addo said that the technical unit would each get US$5,000.

    The President praised the team for winning the competition and said that their efforts had earned the respect and gratitude of the nation.

    The victory is Ghana’s fourth in the tournament’s history after 1993, 1999, and 2009 titles.

  • Mali clinches first U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title

    Mali on Sunday defeated Senegal 3-2 on penalty kicks to claim their maiden Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title following a 1-1 stalemate at extra time in Niamey.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match played at the Stade General Seyni Kountche saw the Malians opening scoring in the 15th minute,

    This was after Boubacar Traore hammered home Hadji Drame’s delivery for Senegal to find themselves behind for the first time in the tournament.

    Senegal replied 17 minutes from normal time through FC Metz’s Amadou Ndiaye who volleyed in the equaliser from close range to force the match to extra time and then penalty kicks.

    Ndiaye, the tournament’s leading goalscorer, then missed his kick before teammate Ousseynou Niang also missed to hand Mali the advantage.

    The young Malians held their nerves in the pulsating shootout to hand Senegal their third successive defeat in the final.

    They converted their three consecutive penalty kicks through Traore, Lassana Ndiaye and Abdoulaye Diaby.

    NAN also reports that Senegal’s Ndiaye was handed the highest goal scorer award, while the Most Valuable Player award went to his compatriot Moussa Ndiaye.

    Senegal also won the Fair Play Award of the tournament.

    The biennial continental youth football tournament, organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was in its 15th edition.

    It is for players aged 20 and below, and the 2019 edition had kicked off on Feb. 2.

  • U-20 AFCON: Mali edge Nigeria after penalty kicks shootout

    U-20 AFCON: Mali edge Nigeria after penalty kicks shootout

    Mali on Wednesday defeated Nigeria 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw after extra time in their semi-final match at the 2019 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Niger Republic.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the result meant that the Flying Eagles’ bid for a record eighth Under-20 AFCON title would have to wait for now.

    The match played at the Stade General Seyni Kountche in Niamey saw El Bilal Toure scoring the decisive spot-kick after Aniekeme Okon missed his kick for Nigeria.

    The victory ensured that the Malians reached the final for the first time in the history of the tournament.

    The win for Junior Mena of Mali avenged their loss to the Flying Eagles, also on penalty kicks, at the U-20 WAFU Cup tournament in Lome, Togo in December.

    Paul Aigbogun’s side started the encounter with more purpose forcing the Malians into defending in the opening stages of the game.

    Nasifi Yahaya crashed the crossbar in the sixth minute after latching on to a neat pass from the edge of the penalty box.

    Koita Youssouf also made a brilliant save to deny Ibrahim Abubakar eight minutes later.

    Mali had a glorious chance to break the deadlock three minutes into the second half, but Olawale Oremade came off his line hurriedly to deny Sekou Keita.

    With no goal scored after an hour, Aigbogun brought on Paschal Durugbor for Yahaya and Maxwell Effiom for Ibrahim Abubakar but the pair could only do little.

    Ibrahim Alhassan tried his luck from distance in the 70th minute but his shot went inches wide.

    Mamadou Traore scored the opener for Mali in the 78th minute of the encounter, his second of the tournament.

    Substitute Durugbor drew Nigeria level with five minutes left to play to send the match into extra time.

    With both sides unable to score at the end of the 30-minute extra time period, the match went into the dreaded lottery of the penalty shootout.

    During the shootout, Ikuowen Udoh, Mohammed Jamil, Effiong Maxwell all converted their kicks for the Flying Eagles, while Valentine Ozornwafor and Aniekeme Okon missed theirs.

    For Mali, Lassana N’Diaye, Hassan Traore, Abdoulaye Diaby and El Bilal Toure all scored, while Boubacar Traore missed.

    The seven-time winners of the Under-20 AFCON will now face South Africa, 0-1 losers to Senegal in the second semi-final clash, in the Third/Fourth-Place match on Saturday in Niamey.

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles to wear black armbands in semi-final clash

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles to wear black armbands in semi-final clash

    Nigeria will battle Mali for a ticket to the final of the on-going African U-20 African Nations Cup in Niamey, Niger Republic.

    The Flying Eagles topped Group A of the competition, while Mali came second in Group B behind Senegal.

    All the four teams in the semi-finals have already qualified to represent Africa at the World Cup in Poland later this year and so the battle is for the right to play in the final game at the Stade General Seyni Kountche.

    The Nigerians, who lost their federation’s former Secretary General, Taiwo Ogunjobi on Monday, will wear black armbands in memory of the late administrator.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement yesterday that CAF has approved its request for the Flying Eagles to wear black armbands in the game in honour of the late Ogunjobi.

    Ogunjobi, also the chairman of Osun State Football Association, passed away on Monday morning at the University College Hospital, Ibadan after a brief illness.

    Speaking on the game against the Malians, Flying Eagles’Head Coach, Paul Aigbogun said they are relaxed going into the remaining games having achieved their aim of qualifying for the World Cup.

    He told thenff.com, “We set the World Cup ticket as our first target for the championship. We have that now, so we are relaxed to go in there and give our best for the second target of winning the trophy, while playing without tension or stiffness.”

    This is the second meeting of both sides in less than three months, with the Flying Eagles beating the Malians at the WAFU U-20 Cup tournament in Lome, Togo in December 2018.

    The second semi-final, also set for the Stade General Seyni Kountche, will see Group B winners, Senegal tackle South Africa.

  • U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles beat Burundi to lead Group A

    U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles beat Burundi to lead Group A

    The Flying Eagles shot to the top of Group A at the 21stAfrica Under-20 Cup of Nations in Niger Republic on Saturday by beating Burundi 2-0.

    The victory came hours after host nation Niger Republic and South Africa drew 1-1 in the opening game of the tournament and also the group’s other match.

    Nigeria’s national under-20 men’s team, seeking an eighth continental title, dominated in the first period but had nothing to show for their superior possession and onslaughts.

    However, in the 55th minute, Yahaya Nazifi got the Flying Eagles in front, before the lively Effiom Maxwell made it two in the 71st minute.

    Nigeria came close on a few other occasions as the match wore on, but there were to be no more goals on the night at the Stade Seyni Kountche in Niamey.

    Saturday’s results mean the Flying Eagles will earn a spot in the competition’s semi-finals and a ticket to this summer’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup finals in Poland if they win again.

    They take on South Africa on Tuesday evening in their second match in the group, while hosts Niger Republic face Burundi same day.

    The Flying Eagles then clash with the hosts in what could be an explosive encounter at the Stade Seyni Kountche on Friday.

    The championship continues on Sunday with matches in the all-West African Group B, where Senegal, Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso battle it out.