The Gambia has dashed the hopes of the Nigerian U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, of reaching the final of the WAFU U-20 tournament after holding them to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday in Togo.
The Flying Eagles had gone into the match as favourites, having won all their previous group games and scoring a total of six goals in the process.
However, they found themselves trailing in the 17th minute after Lamin Saidy opened the scoring for The Gambia.
The Flying Eagles, who are seven-time champions of the tournament, struggled to find their rhythm and had to wait until the 81st minute before they could equalize through substitute Abduljalil Oriaje.
Despite dominating the game in the closing stages, the Nigerian team was unable to find the winning goal, which would have taken them to the final.
With the draw, The Gambia finished top of the group and advanced to the final of the tournament.
The Flying Eagles, on the other hand, will now have to settle for a third-place playoff against the loser of the second semi-final between Senegal and Burkina Faso.
The defeat will come as a shock to the Nigerian team, who had been tipped as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
It is also a blow to the team's preparations for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to take place in Mauritania from February 14 to March 6, 2023.
The Flying Eagles are drawn in Group B alongside Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Uganda, and will be looking to win the tournament for the first time since 2015.
Despite the setback, coach Ladan Bosso remains optimistic about his team's chances.
"We came here with a mission to win the tournament, but unfortunately we could not achieve that," Bosso said after the match.
"But I am happy with the way the boys played, especially in the second half. We will learn from our mistakes and focus on the third-place match and the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations."
The WAFU U-20 tournament serves as a warm-up for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and provides an opportunity for teams to fine-tune their preparations for the tournament.