LATE GOAL SINKS NIGERIA AS CÔTE D’IVOIRE WIN WAFU B U20 TITLE

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles lost 1-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in the final of the WAFU B U20 Championship, ending their two-year reign as champions in heartbreaking fashion.

The match, played at the University of Ghana Stadium, brought together two of the strongest youth teams in West Africa, and it lived up to its billing as a tense and closely fought contest.

Both teams came into the game in good form. Nigeria were aiming to defend the title they won in 2024 after beating Ghana in the final, while Côte d’Ivoire had gone unbeaten throughout the tournament and looked full of confidence.

The Flying Eagles had a strong campaign leading up to the final. They held Ghana to a draw in the group stage, beat Benin Republic, and then defeated Niger on penalties to book their place in the championship match. However, the Young Elephants also looked sharp, having beaten Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Ghana while conceding just one goal across all matches.

Nigeria started the game well and controlled much of the first half with good pressing and solid midfield play, which created several chances, although they failed to score. Côte d’Ivoire grew into the game in the second half and began to put Nigeria’s defence under more pressure, testing the goalkeeper a number of times.

Just when it seemed the match would go to penalties, drama struck in stoppage time. A long freekick appeared to be harmless, but Nigeria’s goalkeeper failed to handle it properly, and Ivorian forward Dindane reacted quickly to score the winning goal and spark wild celebrations for the Young Elephants.

It was a painful end for Nigeria, but coach Aliyu Zubairu and his players can take some positives from the tournament as they prepare for the FIFA U20 World Cup, which will take place in Chile this September.

The Flying Eagles had already secured their place in that global tournament after reaching the semifinals of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year in Morocco.

Earlier in the day, Ghana defeated Niger 2-0 to claim third place in the competition.