Nigeria’s U20 boys, the Flying Eagles, are aware they must be at their best to overcome the challenge posed by the in-form Young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Wednesday’s final match of the WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament in Accra, Ghana.
The Ivorians have shown no mercy in this tournament, winning all four of their previous matches. They edged out Burkina Faso 2-1 in their opening game and triumphed over Niger Republic and Togo with scorelines of 1-0 and 2-0 in their remaining group phase matches.
In Sunday’s semi-finals, they came from behind to defeat host nation Ghana 2-1, demonstrating their strength, resilience, and ability to thrive under pressure.
Forward Mohammed Abdullahi secured Nigeria a point with an equaliser in the 84th minute against the Black Satellites of Ghana in the competition’s opening match, and the Flying Eagles later rallied from behind to defeat Benin Republic’s U20 boys 4-1 in their three-team group A.
In their semi-final, Nigeria, two-time FIFA U20 World Cup runners-up, edged the U20 boys of Niger Republic 4-3 after a penalty shootout, following a 0-0 stalemate in regulation time.
There will be plenty of excitement at Ghana’s Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Wednesday, with the Nigerian President of WAFU B, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), seated alongside other top officials of WAFU at the grand finale.
Today’s encounter represents an opportunity for Head Coach Aliyu Zubair to enhance his growing reputation as a winner, having led the Flying Eagles to victory in the WAFU B U20 Championship in Togo last year and securing a FIFA World Cup ticket from the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt a few months ago.
Mohammed Abdullahi and Ezekiel Kpangu are the players to watch in the Nigerian side, while Abdoul Bamba and Ali Kone pose significant threats in the attack for the Ivorians.
