Nigeria
needed a late strike from the penalty spot from skipper Kelechi Nwakali
to rescue a point against 10-man Guinea as both sides kept alive their
hopes of progression at the CAFU17 championship match in Niamey.
Sam
Diallo put Guinea ahead on 13 minutes. Enterprising play by Diallo,
Abdoul Karim Conte and Yamodou Toure was a handful for the Nigerian
backline anchored around Abbas Usman and Zakaria Halilu who brought down
Toure in the box and referee Jean Jacques Ngsmbo had no option but to
point to the spot.
Guinea
could have added to their advantage but wasted chances through Diallo
and exciting playmaker Karim Conte in a first half the Nigerians hardly
threatened.
The
Eaglets went into the second half with renewed energy and could have
levelled through Kingsley Michael but his effort in the box.
Efforts
from Kelechi, Victor Osimeh and Christian Charles were well saved by
Guinea goalie Moussa Camara, a darling of the crowd with his acrobatic
movements.
But
there was nothing Camara could do when Kelechi stepped up to convert
from the spot and level matters with only three minutes remaining on the
clock and Guinea skipper Moussa Soumah having been sent off after a
second yellow card.
Both sides, on four points each from two games , now have to wait for their final group games to determine the semi-finalists; spots which come with the incentive of
a place at the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup finals to be hosted by
Chile in October this year but Nigeria leads by virtue of a superior goal difference.
With World Cup qualification the alluring factor for the teams aiming to make the semifinals, Nigeria will be hoping that they can beat Zambia in their last game in order to be there.
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