Nigeria’s youth national team, Flying Eagles’ coach, Abdul Maikaba has assured that his players will go all out for victory when they face Ghana’s Black Satellites on Monday, in their opening match at this year’s West African Football Union (WAFU)-B U20 Championship.
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Sports247 reports that the match, which will start at 3pm (Nigeria time) in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, will be a repeat of the last edition’s final, which the Flying Eagles won in Lome, Togo in October 2024, to retain the trophy, which they also clinched in Niamey, Niger Republic two years earlier.
A press release by the communications department of Nigeria Football Feeration (NFF) recalled: “Coach Isa Ladan Bosso led the squad that triumphed in Niamey, while Aliyu Zubairu was chief strategist of the team that retained the trophy in Lome after a 2-1 defeat of the Black Satellites.
“Rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana dates back to 1951 and has produced a number of memorable encounters across the senior, intermediate, junior and academicals’ levels in both men and women categories.
“Victory on Monday will stand seven-time African champions Nigeria in good stead for a semi-final spot, with confrontations against Togo and Burkina Faso to come in the four-team Group B.”
Heading into Monday’s potentially explosive game at Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro, Maikaba is staying upbeat for victory, especially after his side defeated Athletique Club de Zenuola 2-1 in their last build-up friendly match on Thursday.
Maikaba did not hold anything back, as he declared emphatically, “We are going for an outright victory against Ghana, because our objective is to retain the trophy and we have to start winning our matches from Day One.”
Sports247 gathered further that the seven-time African champions’ second match will be versus Togo on Thursday afternoon, while their last group fixture is against Burkina Faso on Sunday, with both games also billed for Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro.
