Nigeria coach Salisu Yusuf is savoring his side’s qualification to the final of the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations despite putting up a sluggish performance against Benin.
The Super Eagles were far from impressive in their 1-0 win over a ten-man Squirrels side in the semi-final clash in the WAFU Cup on Thursday, September 21 at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Kano Pillars star Rabiu Ali scored sublimely in the 11th minute to send them through to the last match of the tournament.
“We feel happy to reach the final. No matter the level of competition, it’s always a delight to reach the final,” said Yusuf.
“We look forward to our next match with a positive mind and see how we could be the champion.”
The Black Stars of Ghana will square up against fierce rivals Nigeria, in the final of this year’s West Africa Football Union (WAFU) cup.
This follows their 2-0 victory over the Niger Republic, in the second semi-final on Thursday night.
Kwame Kizito and Stephen Sarfo scored in either half, to secure the win for the Ghanaians and a place in Sunday’s final in Cape Coast.
In the first semi-final earlier on Thursday, Nigeria beat 10-man Benin Republic 1-0 thanks to Rabiu Ali’s 11th-minute goal.
When both countries met earlier in the tournament, the home-based Eagles defeated the host country 2-0 in their final Group A game on Monday.
The Benin Republic and the Niger Republic will square off in the third-place match on Saturday.
Yusuf also responded to his critics about their unimpressive showcase against Benin with a numerical advantage for 55 minutes.
“The most important thing is you win and you are in a final. Even at the World Cup stages, we’ve seen teams with ten men beating 11 men, so this is football,” concluded the Super Eagles coach.
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