U17 AFCON: Nigeria’s Yahaya Lawali dedicates Player of the Match award to teammates

By Saheed Afolabi

Nigeria U17 influential left back, Yahaya Lawali has dedicated his Player of the Match award to his teammates, coaches and backroom staff of the Golden Eaglets following a 1-0 win over Zambia on Sunday.

The Golden Eaglets got their campaign at the U17 AFCON on a winning note thanks to Favour Oluwasegun Daniel’s 76th minute to ensure the West Africans pip group B opponents Zambia at Stade Mohamed Hamlaoui.

The Mahanaim FC defender was delighted with the individual award as he admitted it’s a major boost to his career, while describing the Zambians as a good side.

“I am really delighted and this means a lot to me. Being named man of the match in the first game for the team is a massive encouragement,” Lawali told CAFOnline.com.

“This is not my trophy though. It belongs to the team; the coaches, the staff and my teammates. We all worked hard for this.

“It was a really tough game because Zambia are a good side. The little details gave us a win today. We scored when it mattered most and we defended well. It has given us motivation for the next game.”

The Golden Eaglets will face Morocco in their next encounter on Wednesday May 3, 2023.