Nigeria take on leaders Algeria today (Saturday) in Dakar in a final U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Group B match knowing that they cannot afford to lose the game if they are to stay on course for qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Kick-off time is 4pm at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium. Nigeria and Algeria are both level on four points each after two rounds of matches with Egypt, who have two points, still in with a chance if they get a win today against an already eliminated Malian U-23 team.
Victory over the Algerians will guarantee Samson Siasia and his boys passage to the seminfnals, while a draw could also be enough depending on the outcome of the game in M’bour between Egypt and Mali. Incidentally, both Nigeria and Algeria also clashed in a final group game four years ago in the same competition in Morocco which the Nigerians won 4-1.
That emphatic win was however not enough for the U-23 Eagles to progress to the last four in Morocco, but Siasia will be hoping his players do enough today to advance to the semifinals where one more victory will be enough to secure a ticket to the Rio Olympics. The top three sides at the end of the U-23 AFCON will fly the continent’s flag in Rio. New Telegraph
