Unity Cup: Nigeria mauls Jamaica to secure back-to-back win

By Joe Apu

Nigeria successfully defended their title and defeated Jamaica again to win the Unity Cup, following a dramatic repeat of their previous matchup.

The highly anticipated final, hosted in London, saw Nigeria secure the trophy after a thrilling victory, continuing their historical dominance in the tournament.

Alhassan Yusuf’s early strike in the 3rd minute oped scoring for  Nigeria keeps the defending champions in front at the break.

Terem Moffi doubled Nigeria’s lead in the Unity Cup final courtesy of a brilliant assist from Femi Azeez in the 59th minute and Yusuf scored his brace in the 91st minute to compete the rout of the Raggae Boyz.

Zimbabwe claimed third place at the Unity Cup after defeating India 1-0 in the playoff match on Saturday.

The Warriors bounced back from their semi-final defeat to Nigeria to finish their campaign on a winning note, thanks to a first-half penalty converted by forward Prince Dube.

Dube calmly slotted home from the spot in the 35th minute to give Zimbabwe the lead, and the Southern Africans held firm for the remainder of the contest to secure victory.

Zimbabwe had entered the third-place playoff seeking redemption following a 2-0 loss to Nigeria in the semi-finals, while India were also aiming to recover from a 2-0 defeat to Jamaica in their opening fixture.

India pushed for an equaliser after the break but were repeatedly frustrated by a disciplined Zimbabwean defence that protected the slender advantage until the final whistle.

The result ensured Zimbabwe finished third in the four-nation invitational tournament, while India ended their campaign without recording a win.

The Unity Cup continues to provide participating nations with valuable international exposure and competitive preparation ahead of future assignments.