Nigeria began the race towards the defence of their African Under-23 title on Wednesday on a sour note as they lost 0-2 defeat to their Libyan counterparts in Tunisia.
The match played on the artificial turf of the Ben Guerdane Stadium in Bergandan, near Tunis was a first round first leg encounter in the qualification series.
The Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles team were aiming to replicate their achievements of 2016.
The Nigerian team featuring the likes of Villareal forward Samuel Chukwueze, Taiwo Awoniyi, Kelechi Nwakali, Azubuike Okechukwu and Dennis Bonaventure had an early setback by conceding a goal after five minutes.
They however settled into the game gradually to control possession with a dominant midfield play, but found it hard to crack their opponents defence.
They now have their work cut out in the crucial return leg fixture at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on Tuesday to keep their hopes of making the African tournament alive.
The tournament billed for Egypt in November is to produce Africa’s flagbearers at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
(NAN)