Team Nigeria captain Mikel Obi scored a
goal and set up Aminu Umar as Nigeria’s U-23 national team on Saturday
night defeated Denmark 2-0 in Salvador to reach the semi-finals of the
men’s football event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Nigeria will now play Germany, who defeated Portugal 4-0, in the semi-final on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.
The U-23 team, the 1996 football
champions of the Games, set up a clash with the Europeans, who were
beaten 4-0 by Brazil in their final Group A game. Group B leaders
Nigeria had defeated Japan and Sweden 5-4 and 1-0 respectively, before
losing their final Group B game to Colombia 2-0.
It was a revenge of sorts for the
African champions, who were thrashed 6-2 by the Danes at the Suwon
Invitational tournament in South Korea in June.
Coach Samson Siasia brought on Aminu
Umar for the injured Oghenekaro Etebo, while South Africa-based
goalkeeper, who kept in the defeat to Colombia, also returned to the
bench as Emmanuel Daniel retained his place back in the starting
line-up.
Denmark had rattled the Nigerians as
early as the 11th minute when Kasper Nielsson’s ferocious volley crashed
against the woodwork with goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel beaten.
But the 1996 Olympic champions stunned
their European counterparts just four minutes later with Mikel grabbing
the opener after good work by the dangerous Imoh Ezekiel.
Nigeria’s preparations in Atlanta as
well as their participation at the Games have been trailed by
controversies, with the squad arriving in Manaus from just six hours
before their opener against Japan, after being stranded for days in the
US.
The team skipped training on Thursday
and threatened to boycott the game against Denmark on unless they were
paid their outstanding allowances at the Games, as well as the unpaid
five months salaries and allowances of the coaches.
They were paid their allowances before the game on Saturday.