WAFU NATIONS CUP: Togo’s Sparrows Bring Down Home-based Eagles

Femi Solaja

Barely one week after Nigeria suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Sparrows of Togo, Home-based Eagles also last night failed in their quest for a revenge with another 1-2 loss to the same team this time on a neutral ground in Senegal at the WAFU Nations Cup tournament.

Last Sunday, the Togolese did the unexpected, inflicting a 4-1 win over the Nigerian side in the first leg of final qualifying round of CHAN tourney that will hold in Cameroon.

But as Nigeria still hope to comeback for the woeful defeat, fate pitched the two sides together last night in the WAFU tourney with the French colonized nation coming out victorious again.

Togo opened score in the 16th minute through Moise Kossivi Adjah but Nigeria restored parity in the 33rd minute through Sikiru Alimi but the Home-based Eagles conceded another goal in the 43rd minute and stayed in deficit till the end of the half.

In the second stanza, Nigeria made several efforts to restore parity again but the well organised defence line of the Togolese refused to back down.

The result of the match means Togo qualify for the Cup competition while the Eagles are relegated to the Plate zone.

Meanwhile, both teams will meet again in the outstanding second leg of the CHAN final qualification next week at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium in Asaba where Nigeria must score three goals without conceding to be sure of qualification into the final tournament in Cameroon next year.

The Nigerian lads were finalists to Morocco as host of the last tournament.