AFCON U23 : Nigeria qualify for Rio 2016, face familiar foe in the Finals

Nigeria and Algeria’s U-23 national teams booked their berth to the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games after reaching the final of the U-23 African Cup of Nations.

An eighth minute goal from Algeria’s Darfalou followed by Benkhemassa’s second in the 49th minute secured the Desert Foxes’ 2-0 win against South Africaon Wednesday, qualifying them to the Olympics for the first time in 35 years.

Hosts of the CAF U-23 Championship, Senegal, who fell to a 1-0 defeat against Nigeria by Oghenekaro’s goal from the penalty spot, will now have to play South Africa for the third place match, where the winner gets the final African place at the Rio 2016 summer games.

The final and third place match will be played on the 12th of December on the Stade Leopold Senghor in Dakar.

Algeria and Nigeria were both drawn into Group B alongside Egypt and Mali, while South Africa and Senegal were in Group A overcoming Tunisia and Zambia.