The home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria on Wednesday booked a place in the finals of the 2018 CHAN African Nation’s Cup with hosts and tournament favourites, Morocco.
While the Super Eagles secured the final spot via a hard fought 1 – 0 win over Sudan, the Moroccans needed two extra time goals to upstage a stubborn Libyan team 3 – 1.
Playing at a packed Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco needed two extra time goals to beat fellow north Africans, Libya. The first half of the encounter ended goalless but in the 73rd minute, the tournament’s record top scorer, Ayoub El Kaabi broke the deadlock.
The lead however did not last long as thirteen minutes later, Libya’s Abdulrahm Khallefah hit an equaliser to send the game beyond regulation time.
El Kaabi extended his scoring record with a goal in the first half of the extra time. The hosts sealed a dominant performance when Walid El Karti scored from the penalty spot to send the game beyond the reach of the Libyans.
In the other semi-finals played at the Gaude Stade Marrakech, Nigeria took a first-half lead through Gabriel Okechukwu’s 16th minute strike.
The dynamics of the match however changed in the second half when Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Ifeanyi was sent off after a second bookable offence. Both managers immediately tinkered their squads with a number of quick substitutions but the Nigerians held on to set up a final with the hosts.
The third-place match is scheduled for Marrakech on February 3 between losing semi-finalists, Libya and Sudan while the final will be in Casablanca on Sunday, February 4, 2018.
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