Nigeria’s U17 boys, the Golden Eaglets, will battle for bronze in the men’s football event of the 22nd National Sports Festival, following a 2-1 defeat to Team Ogun in the second semi-final held Sunday at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.
Earlier in the first semi-final, Team Kwara edged Team Kaduna 1-0 to advance to Tuesday’s gold medal match, scheduled for the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta.
In the women’s football event, Nigeria’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, booked their spot in the final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Team Ogun. Shakirat Moshood converted a late penalty to seal the win for the 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medallists.
The Flamingos will face Team Delta, who advanced with a dominant 4-1 win over Team Osun in the other semi-final.
Bronze medal matches for both male and female categories will be held at the Remo Stars Stadium, while the finals take place at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex on Tuesday.
Both the Golden Eaglets and the Flamingos are participating in this year’s Sports Festival as part of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative of the National Sports Commission, a program aimed at providing elite youth athletes with competitive opportunities and development pathways.
