NIGERIA TO BATTLE HOSTS SENEGAL IN SEMIS

Nigeria will face hosts Senegal in the semi-final of the U23 AFCON on Wednesday after they held Algeria to a goalless draw in Dakar.



The other semi-final will be between Group B winners Algeria and South Africa, who finished as runners-up.
Nigeria finished runners-up in Group B, while Algeria won the group by virtue of a better goals difference after both teams finished on five points each.
Mali edged past Egypt 1-0 in the other Group B match in Mbour to finish third with three points with the Young Pharaohs bottom on two points.
The top three teams will qualify automatically for the Rio Olympics next year with the fourth-placed team vying for a place in Brazil in a playoff.

In Dakar, the match between Algeria and Nigeria was always going to be a cagey affair after both teams also battled in a final group game at the inaugural tournament in Morocco four years ago with the West Africans winning 4-1.
In   a half of very few openings, Nigeria had two chances to take the lead in Dakar – first an audacious 30-yard lob forced goalkeeper Sahli to tip it for a corner in the 13th  minute and in the 34th  minute Oghenekaro Etebo’s free kick was barely Mauro Zarate ought to have scored when a chance presented itself inside the six-yard box.

United’s fourth draw in their last seven league games sees them drop to fourth in the table, while West Ham – who end a run of seven successive defeats at Old Trafford – move up to sixth.
One of three United changes, Fellaini was central to United’s early play, shooting just wide before heading narrowly off target after a deep cross from Paddy McNair.
But it was West Ham who should have taken an early lead. A careless pass from Daley Blind allowed returning captain Mark Noble to send Victor Moses through on goal, but the winger’s poor finish was saved by the legs of David de Gea.

United responded when Anthony Martial was denied by a close-range Reid block after Fellaini’s knockdown from Jesse Lingard’s delivery had provided the opportunity.
Senegal Under-23 national team coach Serigne Saliou Dia was happy to see his side maintain their 100% record at the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win over Zambia in Dakar in their final Group A clash.

The young Lions finished top of their group on maximum points, following consecutive victories against South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia.
“It was an important win today against Zambia because we wanted to continue winning to maintain the momentum going into the semi-finals,” Dia said at the post-match press conference.
“Our target was to reach the semis and more importantly is to qualify for the Olympic Games. And if you want to qualify you have to win the semifinals,” the Senegalese tactician added, with the tournament hosts to know their last-four opponents on Saturday evening.

“Zambia have a very good team. They made mistakes in the previous two games but are still a good side. Now we will go back and wait for our opponents but it is very good that we won all our matches in the group stage.”