Etebo Oghenekaro’s first half goals were enough to separate the two teams and give Samson Siasia’s lads the African crown for the first time
Nigeria will feature at the Rio 2016 Olympics as African champions after defeating Algeria 2-1 in the final of the African U23 championship played at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor on Saturday night.
Etebo Oghenekaro, the competition’s top scorer repeated his fluency and brilliance in front of goal as he scored the goals that handed the Dream Team VI their first Africa U23 diadem.
The dogged north Africans got a life line as Segun Oduduwa nodded home Zinedine Ferhat’s cross but the Nigerians stayed stanch with goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel saving Ferhat’s penalty in the second half.
It was the first time Nigeria had conceded in the first half of the competition but it came to a bitter pill to swallow for Pierre Andre Schurmann’s team who failed to convert their chances in both halves.
Victor Osimhen passed up a glorious chance in the first minute of the game and the 16-year-old also had couples of chances thrown away.