Nigeria’s Flying Eagles fell to a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat against a disciplined Côte d’Ivoire side in the final of the WAFU B U20 Championship, relinquishing the regional crown they had held for the past two years.
The clash at the University of Ghana Stadium saw two of West Africa’s strongest youth teams lock horns in what was a tightly contested final.
Both sides arrived in fine form, Nigeria with their eye on a title defence, and Côte d’Ivoire carrying the momentum of an unbeaten campaign.
The Flying Eagles, who won the 2024 edition after beating Ghana in the final, looked poised for another triumph following a solid run to this year’s final. Nigeria had forced Ghana to a draw, beaten Benin Republic and overcame Niger on penalties to reach the title decider.
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However, the Young Elephants — having already seen off Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Ghana without conceding more than one goal — proved to be formidable opposition.
The first half was largely dominated by Nigeria, whose pressing game and midfield control created a handful of chances, though none were converted.
In the second half, Côte d’Ivoire responded with their own spell of pressure, showing more attacking intent and testing Nigeria’s backline on several occasions.
Just as the match appeared destined for a penalty shootout, drama unfolded in added time.
A routine freekick from distance was fumbled by Nigeria’s goalkeeper, and Ivorian forward Dindane pounced to tuck home the rebound, sealing a dramatic win for the Young Elephants.
The loss will sting for Nigeria, but coach Aliyu Zubairu‘s boys can take solace in having used the tournament as valuable preparation for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile this September.
The Flying Eagles had already qualified for that tournament after reaching the semifinals of the U20 AFCON earlier this year in Morocco.
Meanwhile, Ghana claimed third place with a 2-0 win over Niger earlier in the day.