Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will play against Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Togo in Group B of the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship. This tournament is the qualifier for the 2027 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
The draw took place on Wednesday. It put the hosts and defending champions, Côte d’Ivoire, in Group A with Niger and Benin Republic. Nigeria is the top team in Group B.
This group sets the stage for another matchup between the Flying Eagles and Ghana’s Black Satellites. This rivalry is one of the fiercest in West African youth football.
Burkina Faso and Togo complete the group. These teams will fight for a spot in the 2027 U20 AFCON, which will be held in Ghana.
The championship will have 12 teams. The four teams that reach the semi-finals will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup.
Nigeria comes into this tournament with a strong history in the competition. The Flying Eagles reached the final in the first edition in 2018. They won their first WAFU B title in 2022 and defended it successfully in 2024.
At the 2022 tournament held in Niamey, Nigeria beat Ghana 2-0 in the group stage. They then defeated Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals and won against Benin Republic 3-1 in the final.
In 2024, the Flying Eagles kept the title after a close 2-1 win over Ghana in the final held in Lomé. Kparobo Arierhi scored both goals in the first half.
Nigeria just missed out on a third straight title in the last edition. They lost 1-0 to hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the final after a goal in stoppage time.
Now, the Flying Eagles are set to start their preparations for the regional championship. They aim to win another WAFU B title and secure qualification for the 2027 U20 AFCON.
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