Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire will square off in a mouth-watering WAFU B U20 Boys Championship final after both nations secured hard-fought victories in their respective semifinal ties on Sunday night in Ghana.
At the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, the Flying Eagles were pushed to the limit by a resilient Niger side.
Despite dominating possession and creating the better chances in regulation time, Nigeria were unable to find the back of the net, as the game ended goalless after 90 minutes.
It took a composed penalty shootout to separate the two West African neighbours, with Nigeria edging the contest 4-3. The hero of the night was undoubtedly young goalkeeper Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt, whose crucial save during the shootout earned him the Man of the Match award and secured Nigeria’s place in the final.
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Later at the same venue, Côte d’Ivoire came from behind to defeat hosts Ghana 2-1 in a thrilling encounter. Ghana and Nigeria had played a 1-1 draw during the group stage.
The Baby Elephants, who had cruised through the group stage without conceding a goal, suffered an early setback when Benjamin Tsivanyo gave Ghana the lead in just the 2nd minute.
But the Ivorians responded with character and precision. Abdoul Bamba struck back in the 12th minute to level the tie before Ali Kone completed the turnaround in the 70th minute with a calm finish that silenced the home crowd. Kone’s impressive display earned him the Man of the Match honour.
The final between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire now promises to be a highly competitive affair between two traditional youth football powerhouses.
Historically, the Flying Eagles have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings between both sides.
In October 2024, Nigeria defeated Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in the group stage of the same tournament en route to lifting the title after beating Ghana in the final. That result came after an opening-game loss.
In May 2022, Nigeria also overcame Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in a semifinal match at the WAFU B U20 tournament in Niamey to qualify for the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
More recently, the Flying Eagles beat Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 in an international friendly.
Sunday’s final will thus be both a test of continuity for the Flying Eagles and a mission of redemption for the Baby Elephants. The match is scheduled to hold at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.