Nigeria’s journey in the 2023 African Games men’s football tournament came to a dramatic close as they suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to Senegal at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Under the guidance of Coach Ladan Bosso, the Nigerian team, known as the Flying Eagles, entered the match with the necessity of a victory to advance to the semi-finals after accumulating only three points from their initial two games.
The match commenced with promise for Nigeria when Charles Agada scored an early goal in the second minute.
However, the tide turned as Idrissa Traore leveled the score for Senegal with a ground shot in the 21st minute, and then doubled his tally shortly after, giving Senegal the lead.
Nigeria’s Chibuzor Izuogu rekindled hope with an equalizer from a superbly executed free-kick, making the score 2-2.
The match’s decisive moment came when Pape Diouf of Senegal scored from a penalty kick, sealing the victory and Senegal’s place in the semi-finals.
Post-match, Coach Bosso expressed his disappointment, reflecting on the constraints in team selection due to limited scouting time. He emphasized that the match showcased the team’s potential and highlighted the importance of ample preparation time for future tournaments.
Bosso’s reflections suggest a learning experience that could shape Nigeria’s approach to international football events going forward.
He said: “The lesson is that we need to prepare very well for future tournaments.
“The idea of preparing for a tournament in 13 days is really not the best
“But we can take positives from the fact that some players in this squad can be nurtured for the future and possibly play for the national team
“We tried to improve from match to match. The game we played against Senegal was probably our best game of the tournament so far but it’s just unfortunate that we lost,” a crestfallen Bosso noted.
