Man of the Match Yahaya Lawali admits Nigeria were wasteful in the 1-0 defeat to Morocco in Wednesday’s CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations group match, as he dedicated his award to his teammates.

Lawali picked up a second individual award in the competition, but the 16 year-old and his teammates suffered a disappointing defeat, stalling their progress to the last eight.

The Eaglets registered 27 shots – the most in a single game at the competition – but only managed to get four on target.

Speaking on the award and outcome of game, the young defender said, “I have mixed feelings being named man of the match.”

“It is a good thing for me but as a team we are sad that we lost the match today (Wednesday). It was a critical game for us and it is heartbreaking to lose.”

“I dedicate this award to my teammates and urge them that it is not the end. Some days are like this, you do everything but can’t win,” He added.

And the #NGAMAR TotalEnergies Man of the Match is Yahaya Lawali!

Congratulations! 🏅🤩#TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 | @Football2gether pic.twitter.com/2amHi3EHVd

— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 2023 🏆 (@CAF_Online) May 3, 2023

“We are heartbroken that we couldn’t take our chances, but we are sure to do better in our next match. We will work to ensure we are better and more efficient with scoring,” said Lawali.