IN the highly anticipated WAFU B U20 Girls Cup of Nations, Nigeria’s Falconets came up short in their quest for glory, settling for the runners-up position in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
The thrilling final against their arch-rivals Ghana ended in a 1-1 draw at full time, but it was Ghana’s Black Princesses who emerged victorious in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, securing a 3-1 win.
Despite Ghana hosting the event, Nigeria entered the match as the clear favourite to triumph over their eternal adversaries. The Falconets started strongly, creating several promising opportunities under the guidance of their astute coach, Chris Musa Danjuma. However, it was Ghana who struck first, taking advantage of a penalty conceded by Nigeria to score through their captain, Stella Nyamekye. This marked the first goal the Falconets had conceded throughout the entire competition. Nigeria desperately tried to restore parity before the first half ended but fell short of finding the elusive equaliser.
The second half witnessed a relentless assault by the Falconets on the Ghanaian defence, as they continuously pressured their opponents and created numerous chances. However, luck seemed to elude them as they struggled to find the perfect final pass or the fortunate bounce needed to breach the goal line.
Finally, in the 84th minute, Flourish Sabastine broke through Ghana’s resistance, seizing an opportunity presented by the opposing goalkeeper’s misjudgment of a routine cross. Calmly tapping the ball into an unguarded net, Sabastine not only brought relief and joy to her team but also redeemed herself for the penalty that allowed Ghana to score their solitary goal. This crucial strike marked Sabastine’s fourth goal of the tournament.
With just a minute of regular time remaining, the Falconets had a momentary lapse, nearly allowing Ghana to snatch a dramatic stoppage-time winner. However, fate intervened in Nigeria’s favour as the ball ricocheted off the crossbar, saving them from heartbreak. With the score tied at 1-1 after the full 90 minutes, the match went straight to a penalty shootout to determine the champions. Displaying nerves of steel, the Black Princesses calmly converted three of their spot-kicks, while Nigeria managed to score only once. As a result, Ghana’s players etched their names in history as the first-ever winners of the WAFU B U20 Cup.
Eighteen-Eleven Media