Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, will face the Young Stallions of Burkina Faso on Sunday in the final of the ongoing WAFU B U-20 Championship in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
While the seven-time African champions will be aiming to retain the trophy they won in Lomé in October 2024, Sunday’s encounter will also determine the second team from the WAFU B zone to join hosts Ghana at next year’s Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.
The final will be the second meeting between the two sides in this year’s competition, having already clashed in the group stage, where the Young Stallions secured a 2-0 victory over the Flying Eagles.
However, Sunday’s encounter will be the first time Nigeria and Burkina Faso will meet in the final of the regional competition, with their previous encounters coming at the group-stage level.
In 2022, the Flying Eagles drew 2-2 with the Young Stallions in Niger Republic, while Burkina Faso edged Nigeria 1-0 when the teams met again in Lomé in 2024.
Flying Eagles coach Abdu Maikaba believes Sunday’s final presents his side with an opportunity to avenge the group-stage defeat.
“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, and we are working on how to capitalise on their weaknesses while also consolidating our own strengths,” Maikaba said.
Sunday’s final will be played at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.
