Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles on Tuesday evening lost 2-0 to Guinea in the final round of qualifiers for this year’s U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The defeat which secures qualification to the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco for the Gunieans at Nigeria’s expense means Nigeria’s flag will not be hoisted at the football event of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Nigeria U-23 side were held to a scoreless draw in the first leg of the ties last week Wednesday at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Second half goals on Tuesday from Algassime Bah and Alseny Soumah in the 62nd and 75th minutes respectively sealed the qualification for Guinea in the second leg game played in Rabat, Morocco on Tuesday.
The Nigerian side also failed to qualify for the 2020 football tournament of the Olympiad after a bronze medal finish in 2016.
Salisu Yusuf was also in charge of the Nigerian home-based Super Eagles side that failed to qualify for the 2023 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
The former Kano Pillars coach finished 7th with Rangers International of Enugu when he was in charge of the 2016 Nigeria Premier Football League and oversaw Kano Pillars’ relegation from the topflight.
Nigeria were runners up in 2008 when a hugely talented Nigerian side lost 1-0 to Argentina with Lionel Messi in the squad in the final.
The 2023 U-23 AFCON will hold in Morocco between 24 June and 8 July 2023.
The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic men’s football tournament in Paris.
Izuchukwu OkosiIzuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.