Nigeria has won the U23 African Championship and will go to this year’s Olympic Games in Brazil as continental champions after defeating Algeria 2-1 in the final played in Senegal. After both teams won their semi finals, they automatically qualified for the Rio 2016 football tournament and played the final to determine who was top dog. In the third/fourth place play-offs, South Africa beat hosts Senegal 3-1 on penalties after playing a goalless draw, to clinch the third African slot. For head coach Samson Siasia who led Nigeria to silver in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, it was silverware again though as his wards brushed aside an Algerian side they were far superior to.
Nigeria took the lead in thanks to a 14th minute penalty from captain Peter Etebo but just 16 minutes later, Algeria were level when Segun Oduduwa scored an own-goal. In a frenetic first half, Nigeria took what proved to be a decisive lead, as Etebo again struck this time in open play to put Nigeria 2-1 up going into the break.
Algeria missed a key opportunity to draw level in the second half when USM Alger's Zinedine Ferhat had a penalty saved by The Eagles’ goalkeeper Daniel Emmanuel in the 68th minute.
They held on to win 2-1 to lift the trophy and continue the proud Olympics tradition. Nigeria made Olympic football history in 1996 by becoming the first African and non-European and South American team to win the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
