Eagles miss out on olympics

Defending champions, Nigeria, have crashed out of the ongoing U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt following a goalless draw with South Africa at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Friday, a result which was not enough to see them through to the semi -finals.

On a day they needed just one goal to topple the Amaglugglug and book a place in the last four – irrespective of the result in the other match between Ivory Coast and Zambia – the Olympic Eagles failed to make their chances count as they couldn’t find the all-important goal.

Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Zambia in the other game in Group B which was played at the same time ensured the Ivorians zoomed into the last four at the expense of the Olympic Eagles who had to settle for a draw against the South Africans.

The result meant they finished third on four points, behind Ivory Coast who finished with six points and South Africa on five points in Group B thus, dropping out of contention for a place in the men’s football tournament of next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

And just as it happened in 2011, the U-23 Eagles once again crashed out of the tournament in the group stage after suffering a loss in their opening game.

The debacle caps a horrid few months for the various national sides starting with the Falcons’ failure to secure an Olympic ticket and the U-17 team’s short-lived adventure in Brazil, where they crashed in the round of 16 to the Netherlands.

Reacting to the failure of the team, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, said the failure of the Olympic Eagles was a shock.

“Working together with the Ministry of Sports, we have been able to provide the team with what is required for them to excel. The team’s failure to reach the semi- finals and ultimately qualify for the Olympics is a big shock,” he said.

“Three years ago, football won the only medal that Nigeria took from the Olympics in Brazil. Our expectation was that this team would qualify for Tokyo and go there to do the country proud.”