Nigeria’s Flying Eagles suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the final of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship on Sunday at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The defending champions endured a difficult afternoon as the Young Stallions produced a dominant first-half performance to take control of the final.
Burkina Faso raced into a three-goal lead before half-time, capitalising on weaknesses in Nigeria’s defence with their pace, direct running and clinical finishing.
The Flying Eagles struggled to find their rhythm in the opening 45 minutes and went into the break three goals down, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Nigeria responded after the interval and briefly raised hopes of a comeback when forward Muiz Adeleke converted from the penalty spot to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
Abdu Maikaba’s side pushed forward in search of more goals and created a number of opportunities, but Burkina Faso remained compact and disciplined at the back.
The Young Stallions eventually put the result beyond doubt with a late fourth goal, completing a convincing 4-1 victory and securing the WAFU B title.
The defeat marked the second time Burkina Faso had beaten Nigeria in the tournament, having also defeated the Flying Eagles in their group-stage encounter.
With the triumph, Burkina Faso will join hosts Ghana as the two representatives of the WAFU B zone at next year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.
