National Teams
Côte d’Ivoire Edge Ghana to Set Up WAFU-B U-20 Final Clash with Nigeria
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Côte d’Ivoire’s U-20 team will face Nigeria in the final of the WAFU-B U-20 Boys Championship, after edging hosts Ghana 2-1 in a tense semi-final encounter.
The Ivorians had to come from behind to book their place in the title decider. Ghana struck early through Benjamin Tsivanyo, who opened the scoring in the second minute, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
However, Côte d’Ivoire responded swiftly. Just 10 minutes later, Abdoul Goudousse Bamba leveled the score, swinging momentum back in the Elephants’ favor.
The decisive moment came in the 70th minute, when Ali Koné found the back of the net to seal victory for Côte d’Ivoire and dash Ghana’s hopes of reaching the final on home soil.
Earlier, Nigeria had secured their spot in the final by defeating Niger Republic 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a hard-fought draw in regulation time.
The final now sets up a mouth-watering West African derby between Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire—an encounter that rekindles memories of the senior national teams’ showdown in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Elephants triumphed 2-1 on home turf.
The WAFU-B U-20 final promises to be another fierce chapter in the growing rivalry between these West African powerhouses.
