Nigeria defeat Cameroon, win a record sixth time Africa Youth Championship final

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Nigeria survived a late fightback to beat Cameroon 3-2 after extra-time to win the Africa Youth Championship title in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Terry Envoh scored the winner in the 92nd minute to give the Flying Eagles their sixth continental title.

Two second-half goals from Olanrewaju Kayode and Uche Nwofor to put Nigeria in a comfortable lead.

But strikes from Franck Ohandza and Edgar Salli, with eight minutes left, pushed the match into extra-time.

After 70 minutes of drab fare at Dobsonville Stadium in this vast township south west of Johannesburg, the game sprang to life as Nigeria took a two-goal lead only to surrender it.

Goals from Kayode and Nwofor rocked Cameroon, who won a group match between the countries and kept three clean sheets in four matches en route to the decider.

But the Indomitable Cubs lived up to their nickname by refusing to accept defeat and Franck Ohandza and Edgar Sally scored within four minutes to force 30 additional minutes.

The Flying Eagles regained the lead two minutes into extra time through Terry Envoh, whose first goal of the biennial two-week tournament proved decisive.

After winning four consecutive championships in the 1980s, Nigeria had to wait until 2005 for their fifth success in a competition restricted to under-20 footballers.

Meanwhile, Egypt finished third after defeating Mali 1-0 in the third-place play-off in Johannesburg.

Mohamed Aly’s 58th minute strike separated the two sides.

Mali were favourites for the game but a second-half revival by the north Africans helped them to seal the win.

The Young Eagles dominated the early exchanges with midfielder Coulibaly Abdoulaye creating opportunities for his strikers.

Mali were made to pay for their profligacy when Aly took advantage of a defensive slip-up to fire low into the far corner.

All the four teams that reached the semi-final will represent Africa at the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in July.