By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
…Nigeria’s Jollof Confirmed Better.
THE FLYING Eagles of Nigeria Monday afternoon in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast confirmed the superiority of the Nigerian Jollof over that of the Ghanaian Jollof by beating the Black Satellites of Ghana in the West African Football Union (WAFU) Group B U20 Boys football opener 4-2.
Solid shooter, Abdulmuiz Adeleke dimmed the Ghanaian Satellites with a brace via penalty kick in the 41st minute and gave Ghana a closing glee shock of another penalty goal in the 91st minute.
Ayinla Olayemi had opened scoring for Nigeria in the 4th minute when fans were still trying to find their way into the stadium before Lucky Oraro scored Nigeria’s 2nd goal in the 32nd minute.
Ghana’s Mohammed Zaidan had scored their 1st goal in the 23rd minute before Ghana struck luck to score their 2nd goal via penalty kick in the 62nd minute.
Nigeria may fly straight into the semifinal of the WAFU tournament on Thursday 30th July when she meets Togo in the 2nd group match.
That may mean that their last group game against Burkina Faso on 2nd August will be a mere formality.
Nigeria’s football rivalry with Ghana has been on for decades and it grew into the sentimental war of whose Jollof Rice delicacy is better though Sierra Leoneans too eat Jollof Rice they call wollof rice.
Nigeria and Ghana u20 male football teams have played themselves 9 times with Nigeria winning 5, Ghana winning 2 and 2 drawn games on the records where Nigeria scored 16 of the 26 goals scored between them.
The result today is an encore (repeat) of the WAFU Zone B finals of 2018 which was Nigeria 4 Ghana 2. At the WAFU final of 2024 October Nigeria beat Ghana 2-1. Although Ghana beat Nigeria in the CAF U20 match of December 2020 by a lone goal, in May 2022 Nigeria won 2-0.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles who are 7 times African champions (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 four times back to back, 2005, 2011 and 2015 with continental Silver medals in 1999 and 2017 as well as four Bronze medals in 1995, 2009, 2013 and 2023) are still favourite to lift the sub continental trophy back to back.
Nigeria in three appearances are defending champions having won it in 2022. Senegal and Ghana have won it too. Ghana still has a chance to move to the WAFU semifinal if they beat Togo and Burkina Faso but records show Ghana has never beaten Burkina Faso at this age group level.
Black Satellites of Ghana were also African champions at that age group 4 times in 1993, 1999, 2009 and 2021.
#WAFU #NFF #GFA.
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