Flying Eagles aim for win against Burkina Faso

Flying Eagles coach Abdu Maikaba and defender Musa Wahab are focused on winning against Burkina Faso. Nigeria’s Under-20 team will face the Young Stallions in the final of the WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship. This match will take place in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, on Sunday.

Wahab, who plays as a centre-back, said the team is ready for this important match. They reached the final after beating Ivory Coast 4-3 on penalties, following a 2-2 tie at the end of regular time.

“We are preparing, and we are trying our best to play as a team,” Wahab told Dagashotz. “We are happy and calm. We are hoping for nothing but a win.”

Nigeria made it to the final after a tough match against Ivory Coast. Burkina Faso got to the final by defeating Niger Republic. This match is also a chance for Nigeria to get back at Burkina Faso. They lost 2-0 to them in their last group game.

The defending champions want to keep the trophy they won in Lome in October 2024. The final will also decide which team from the WAFU B zone will join hosts Ghana in next year’s Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations finals.

This will be the second time both teams meet in this year's tournament. They first played in the group stage, where the Young Stallions won 2-0. In 2022, Nigeria and Burkina Faso drew 2-2 when they met in Niger Republic. The Young Stallions also beat the Flying Eagles 1-0 in Lome in 2024.

Maikaba thinks this match is a chance for his team to make up for their earlier loss.

“I think this is an opportunity for us to redeem ourselves having lost to Burkina Faso in the group stage. Having played them before, we now have an idea of their shape and structure. We are working on how to take advantage of their weaknesses and also build on our own strength,” he said.

Nigeria won the last tournament by beating Ghana in the final. Wahab and his teammates will look to give a strong performance to keep the WAFU Zone B title.

The final will take place at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, starting at 7pm.