Nigeria’s men’s amputee football team, the Special Eagles, have advanced to the quarter-finals of the ongoing Amputee AFCON in Egypt after a dominant 11-0 victory over Burundi in their last group game on Wednesday.
Striker, Michael Jewell was the standout performer, scoring seven goals, while Turkey-based Mohammad Grima scored a hat-trick. Olaa Buhachi also contributed with a goal, ensuring an easy win against the debutants.
This impressive victory secured the top spot for the Special Eagles in Group A, thanks to their superior goal difference over hosts Egypt. The Egyptians had beaten Burundi 10-2 on Tuesday following their goalless draw against Nigeria in the opening game on Saturday.
Nigeria will face the second-placed team from Group B in the quarter-finals on Thursday night. Liberia is likely to finish behind Morocco in that group, depending on the outcome of their match, which kicks off too on Wednesday.
Seven of the countries that progress to the last eight will qualify for the 2026 Amputee World Cup in Morocco. Nigeria’s best performance at the Nations Cup was a second-place finish at the 2019 edition in Angola, where they lost 2-0 to the hosts in the final.
