Togo won the first leg 4-1 in Lome last month and were confident of picking their first ever ticket to the finals of the competition reserved for professionals playing in their home leagues on the continent.

Yet, they had to dig very deep into their defensive arsenal and resort to time-wasting tactics to edge out a determined Nigeria.

It was fierce and furious from the first blast of Nigerien referee Abdoulaye Rhissa Al-Mustapha’s whistle, with the Eagles aware before kick off that they needed to score a minimum of three goals without a reply to consign the visitors to elimination. Nigeria’s attacking force of Ndifreke Effiong, Sunusi Ibrahim, Sunkanmi Olawoyin and Sikiru Alimi asked question after question of the Togolese defence.

In the 8th minute, Alimi, who scored the Eagles B’s only goal in the first leg, scooped the ball from another attack and left his marker for dead before firing past goalkeeper Abdoul-Moubarak Aigba for the first goal of the day.

The goal further spurred the Eagles, and in the 19th minute Aigba was well placed to save as Sunusi Ibrahim released a fierce shot.

Another shot by Ibrahim nearly slipped into the net in the 25th minute, but Messan Toudji cleared off the line with Aigba beaten.

Four minutes later, another shot by Ibrahim screamed away from goal.

In the 31st minute, Ibrahim side-netted after dragging past his marker, and just before half time, Effiong lifted the ball a little too high from a 20-yard free kick.

In the second half, Togo defended even more stoutly, showing little concern for onslaughts on the Nigerian goal.

In the 59th minute, Aigba again saved as Alimi nodded towards goal.

Alimi got his and Nigeria’s second of the day in the 71st minute – a scorcher from the edge of the box off a pass from Ndifreke Effiong.

Nigeria continued to throw everything into the game, looking for the third goal that would send them to Cameroon at the expense of Togo.

But it never came, despite the boys giving it a good fight in order to qualify.

Instead, Togo’s Sparrow Hawks will make their first ever appearance at the CHAN finals next year summer.

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Imama Amapakabo and the Super Eagles B team have been training at the FIFA Goal Project, National Stadium, Abuja since returning from their expedition at the WAFU/FOX Cup of Nations in Senegal last week.

The former international goalkeeper realizes that they have a mountain to climb, having lost the first leg in Lome 4-1 and then overwhelmed by the same team at the WAFU/FOX Cup of Nations in Senegal.

“We have a big job at hand, and I have been drumming it into the ears of the players that we cannot afford to fail. The Togolese won 4-1 on their home ground; nothing says we cannot do better on our own home ground.

“We have to be focused and determined. We must create chances and put them away, because we cannot afford not to be at the African Nations Championship,” said Amapakabo.

Nigeria finished as runner-up at the last edition of the African Nations Championship staged by Morocco early last year.

The winner over two legs between Nigeria and Togo will book a slot at the 6th African Nations Championship finals scheduled for Cameroon in June 2020.

NFF’s Director of Competitions, Mr. Ayobola Oyeyode, confirmed to thenff.com on Wednesday that the delegation of the Sparrow Hawks for Saturday’s big match, which will hold at the Agege Stadium, Lagos from 4pm, will fly into Lagos aboard an ASKY Airline flight on Thursday.

The Confederation of African Football has appointed officials from Niger Republic to superintend the match, with Abdoulaye Rhissa Al-Mustapha as referee.

His compatriots Sadissou Idi, Abdoul Aziz Yacouba and Zakari Adamou Oumarou will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively.

Mr. Alim Konate Aboubacar, from Cameroon, will serve as match commissioner.

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