Nigeria on Thursday beat Benin 1-0 in Cape Coast to set a final showdown with rivals Ghana in the 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations.
Hosts Ghana defeated Niger 2-0 to qualify for Sunday’s final.
It will be the second meeting between the Super Eagles and Black Stars at the competition after an earlier meeting in the Group stages. Nigeria won the match 2-0.
With only 11 minutes on the clock, Kano Pillars midfielder Rabiu Ali scored for Nigeria. Benin were reduced to 10 after striker Merceline Koupko was sent off following a second yellow card for diving in the 37th minute.
Nigeria had earlier defeated Benin 2-1 over two legs to earn a ticket to the 2018 African Nations Championship only a few weeks ago. After a 1-0 defeat in Cotonou, courtesy of a late penalty kick, goals by Ali and Kingsley Eduwo saw the Eagles nick the ticket to Kenya.
According to Punch, Nigeria goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa had little to do in the game as the Eagles beat the Squirrels. Nigeria have yet to concede a goal in the tournament, stretching their run to five clean sheets.
In the Ghana match, Kwame Kizito and Stephen Sarfo scored for the Black Stars to book their second meeting with Nigeria in the competition.
Posted by Juliet Ekwebelam
