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Another Jollof Derby: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles land Ghana, Benin in fiery WAFU B war

Obi Donald
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Nigeria’s U20 national team, the Flying Eagles, have been drawn in a tricky Group A alongside arch-rivals Ghana and neighbours Benin Republic for the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Boys’ Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

The tournament, which serves as a qualifying pathway to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, will now be staged from July 10 to 23, 2025 at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram, Ghana, after being rescheduled from its original June date.

Led by head coach Aliyu Zubairu, the Flying Eagles are returning to camp in Abuja after ...ponement and will resume preparations for what promises to be a fiercely contested competition.

Aliyu Zubairu with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles. Photo by IMAGO

Games between Nigeria and Ghana, often tagged the ‘Jollof Derby’, are always closely fought at all levels.

Nigeria have had the upper hand recently. The Super Eagles defeated the Black Stars at the Unity Cup last month while the Flying Eagles claimed a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Black Satellites in the final of last year’s WAFU B tournament.

Nigeria vs Ghana at the Unity
Ghana v Nigeria Unity Cup London 2025 28/05/2025. Ghana defender Razak Simpson 4 performs a slide tackle on Nigeria forward Moses Daddy Simon 15 during the Unity Cup London 2025 match between Ghana and Nigeria at Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford, England on 28 May 2025. Photo by IMAGO

Group B features another tightly packed field with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo all fighting for a place in the semi-finals. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the last four, raising the stakes from the outset.

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The competition is restricted to WAFU Zone B nations only after Zone A teams were disqualified for failing to meet organisational requirements.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles. Photo by IMAGO

The WAFU B tournament is widely seen as a launchpad for emerging talent in West Africa and will serve as key preparation for Nigeria ahead of the 24th FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for September 27 to October 19.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, seven-time African U-20 champions and two-time FIFA U-20 World Cup runners-up, are hoping to add more silverware to their illustrious legacy.

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