The Golden Eaglets will battle for the bronze medal in the men’s football event at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games 2024, after suffering a 2-1 defeat to hosts Team Ogun in the second semi-final held in Ikenne-Remo on Sunday.
In the first semi-final, Team Kwara booked their place in the final with a narrow 1-0 win over Team Kaduna, thanks to a decisive second-half strike by Muhammed Abdullahi.
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In the female category, Nigeria’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, soared into the final following a gritty 1-0 victory over Team Ogun. The breakthrough came late in the match when Shakirat Moshood calmly converted a penalty, ensuring the 2022 FIFA U17 World Cup bronze medallists advanced.
The Flamingos will now face Team Delta in Tuesday’s grand finale at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta. Team Delta sealed their place in the final with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Team Osun in the first semi-final.
Meanwhile, the third-place matches in both male and female categories will take place at the Remo Stars Stadium.
The participation of both the Golden Eaglets and Flamingos in this year’s festival is part of the commendable Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative introduced by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to promote youth development and competitive exposure.
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