Cote d’Ivoire won the 2013 Africa U-17 Championship in Morocco on Saturday, edging out the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria on 6-5 penalty shootout after score stood at 1-1 after 90 minutes of the game.
The red card received by Golden Eaglets’ Izu Omega in the 75th minute and the failure of Chidiebere Nwakali to convert Nigeria’s second spot kick in the shootout after scores stood at 1-1, caused Nigeria the CAF U-17 Championship trophy in Marrakesh, Morocco on Saturday.
Nigeria opened scoring through Isaac Success in the 8th minute.
Success won the the Golden Boot for being the highest goal scorer of the tournament with six goals.
But Cote d’Ivoire’s Bedia Angban equalized in the 27th minute.
Nigeria produced a thrilling performance but was deprived of goals from the water-tight defence of the Ivorians.
Things became worse for Nigeria when Omega got the marching order for elbowing an Ivorian player in the 75th minute of the match.
Success, who was naturally marked out by the tall Ivorian defenders, scored for Nigeria in the spot kick.
Ifeanyi Mathew,Chidera Eze and Musa Yaya, the Eaglets captain, all converted their kicks while Nwakali could not and this cost Nigeria the Cup.
The Ivorians however converted all their kicks to win the tournament.
It took the persuasions of the team officials, including the Head Coach, Manu Garba, to calm down the Eaglets who couldn’t hide their emotions as they all broke down sobbing all the way for losing a glorious chance to win the tournament and put their names in the record books.
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