Nigeria, May 26 -- In a pulsating semi-final clash at the 2024 National Sports Festival, host state Ogun delivered a stunning performance to defeat the Golden Eaglets (Nigeria U-17 national team) 2-1 and book their spot in the men's football final.

Buoyed by a passionate home crowd and inspired performances from Remo Stars' duo Ahmed Akinyele and Joseph Abba, Ogun proved too strong for the star-studded national side in a match that had all the makings of a classic.

The opening 20 minutes saw both teams sizing each other up in a cagey affair. But the breakthrough came shortly after when defender Ahmed Akinyele capitalised on a goalkeeping error to slot home a loose ball from a free-kick and hand Ogun a 1-0 lead.

Despite ramped-up pressu...