The Nigeria National U-23 team also known as Olympics Eagles have qualified for the final round of the AFCON U23 qualifiers after defeating Tanzania 3-1 on aggregate score.
The team, who earlier played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the qualifiers defeated Tanzania 2-0 at the Lekan Salami Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan on Saturday.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu came in to the party earlier in the 12th minutes as he had to shield away a shot from Mhundai Vuai.
Fans were left frustrated as the upfront set up of Coach Salisu Yusuf with Success Makanjuola, Sunusi Ibrahim and Ibrahim Yahaya failed to string the much needed cohesion to support their drive for goal in the first half.
It was a lackluster performance from the Nigerian team as they showed no rythm and right cohesiveness to make the best of their thrusts towards the final third of the opponents in the first 45 minutes.
David Watlai was handed an opportunity at a goal in the 36th minutes after picking up a loosed pass from the defense of the visitors but lacked the required composure to strike off the chance.
However, the Nigerian team came into the second half with a renewed vigour. Evident in some of their efforts was when Tochukwu Dominion’s curled shot went a bit far wide in the 51st minutes.
A minutes later, the host had a shot at goal as Edmund John who couldn’t strike the right connect had his flip over goalkeepe Nwosu went above the bar.
The Eagles’ dominance paid off when Abiodun Oguniyi’s free kick in the 62nd minutes beat a less composed visitor’s goalkeeper to the net.
Oguniyi’s impressive display in the cutting edge would later handed Nigeria a penalty when he was hacked down by the Tanzanian’s defender.
Makanjuola, who scored the penalty for the team in the first leg yet again stepped up to convert from the spot albeit his shot was eventually deflected in to the net by goalkeeper Aboutwaleeb Mshery.
The Olympic Eagles will now face the Guinea, who had walked over Uganda in another game on Saturday in the final round of the qualifiers series.
Also, with the win, the team has, among many other goodies won a $25,000 cash reward promised by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Five hundred thousand naira per goal’s pledge by Super Eagles’ Captain Ahmed Musa.
The Coach Salisu Yusuf’s boys would also be smiling home with another $10,000 and $5,000 cash reward from NFF Task force committee Chair, Alhaji Aminu Kurfi and Bukola Olopade respectively