Nigeria’s Flying Eagles made a winning start to the defence of their WAFU B U20 Championship title with a thrilling 4-2 victory over arch-rivals Ghana in their Group B opener on Monday in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The seven-time African champions produced a dominant first-half display, racing into a 3-1 lead before adding a fourth goal after the break to secure all three points in one of African youth football’s biggest rivalries.
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Olayemi Ayinla opened the scoring for Nigeria before Oraro Lucky doubled the advantage with a well-taken finish.
Ghana responded to reduce the deficit, but the Flying Eagles restored their two-goal cushion when Abdulmuiz Adeleke calmly converted a penalty before halftime.
Nigeria maintained their attacking intensity in the second half and added a fourth goal to put the contest beyond the reach of the Black Satellites.
Ghana grabbed another goal late in the game, but it proved only a consolation as the Flying Eagles sealed a convincing 4-2 victory.
The result gives Nigeria an ideal start in Group B, which also features Burkina Faso and Togo, as they continue their quest to retain the regional title and qualify for the next CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Flying Eagles entered the competition as defending champions and showed their quality against one of their fiercest rivals with an energetic attacking performance and clinical finishing.
Head coach Abdu Maikaba will be encouraged by his team’s display as Nigeria now shifts focus to its remaining group-stage fixtures, where victories against Burkina Faso and Togo could secure a place in the knockout rounds.
The WAFU B U20 Championship serves as the qualifying tournament for the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, making every group-stage match crucial for teams hoping to compete on the continental stage.
Nigeria will look to build on the momentum from their opening victory as they continue their title defence in Côte d’Ivoire.
