Hosts Congo To Play Nigeria In Final
Hosts Congo will play defending champions Nigeria in the final of the African Youth Championships after both teams recorded narrow 1-0 wins in their respective semifinals yesterday.
In the earlier semifinal, Nigeria defeated Gambia 1-0, with Uwa Echiejile scoring a 19th-minute free kick that proved to be the winner.
Both teams had men dismissed with straight red cards in the second half, but it was Nigeria who held their nerve better in a tense match in Brazzaville.
In the later match, Congo booked their maiden appearance in the Youth Championship final when a Harris Tchilimbou goal in the 73rd minute handed them a 1-0 win over Zambia.
The final whistle sparked a pitch invasion from the jubilant home supporters who will see their team face Nigeria in Saturday's final in Brazzaville.
Nigeria have won the tournament on five separate occasions: 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 2005.
The third-place playoff will take place on Friday, also in Brazzaville.