Zambia is the only debutant in the roll call of qualified teams for the African U-17 Championship Niger 2015.
The Young Chipolopolo was the surprise packets from the qualifying series confirming their places alongside perennial representatives; Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa, as well as Congo and Guinea.
The seven teams will join hosts Niger for next year’s final tournament that will give birth to the continent’s representatives for the global championship.
Zambia completed a double over Uganda to book their place, beating the latter 2-1 in Kampala on Saturday. Leading marksman Patson Daka scored a first half brace before Alex Komakech reduced the deficit for the Cubs. The Southern Africans advanced 4-1 on aggregate.
The Amajimbos of South Africa held Egypt to a 2-2 draw in Cairo to progress 4-3 on aggregate. Molefi Ntseki’s boys led 2-0 at half time thanks to a brace from Khanyiso Mayo before Ahmed Hafez and Mokhtar Soliman leveled for the Young Pharaohs in the second half.
Cote d’Ivoire outclassed Angola 3-0 in Abidjan to go through 4-1 on aggregate. Baba Lamine Traore scored in either half whilst Nguessan Jonas scored the third in the closing stages.
Reigning world champions, the Golden Eaglets overturned a 2-1 defeat against Gabon in the first leg, romping to a 5-0 in Calabar. Kehinde Ayinde and Christian Obere Osinachi scored a brace each with Kelechi Nwakali the other scorer as the Eaglets booked their place 6-2 on aggregate.
On Sunday, Ghana’s Black Starlets edged the Indomitable Cubs of Cameroon 4-3 in Accra, which was enough to see them through 6-4 on aggregate. The Ghanaians led by three goals by 36 minutes with Abass Issah, Henry Medarious and Jonah Osabutey hitting target on the fifth, 17th and 36th minutes respectively.
But the Cameroonians roared back through Armel Nguene II and Christian Bayemi before Medarious took the game beyond them with his second of the day on 79 minutes. Achille Fokem grabbed a consolation in the dying embers of the game.
Mali bounced back to beat Tunisia 3-1 in Tunis to complete a double and 5-1 on aggregate. Wael Oueslati broke the deadlock at the death of the first half before Sidiki Maiga netted a brace and Boubacar Traore the other to wrap up victory.
The tournament will take place from 15 February – 1 March, where the semi-finalists at the continental championship will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 World Cup fixed for 17 October – 8 November in Chile.
Results
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Nigeria 5-0 Gabon (1-2)              16H00 Calabar
Cote d’Ivoire 3-0 Angola (1-1)       15H00 Abidjan
Uganda 1-2 Zambia (0-2)            16H00 Kampala
Egypt 2-2 South Africa (1-2)         19H00 Cairo
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Togo 0-3 Guinea (0-1)                 15H30 Lome
Ghana 4-3 Cameroon (2-1)          15H00 Accra
Tunisia 1-3 Mali (0-2)                           16H00 Tunis
Qualified teams: Niger (Hosts), Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia