Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will aim to secure an early place in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship when they face Togo’s Sparrow Hawks in their second Group B fixture on Thursday in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The defending champions opened their campaign in impressive fashion with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Ghana on Monday, moving to the top of Group B on goal difference. Burkina Faso sit second after defeating Togo 3-1 in the other group match.
A victory over the Sparrow Hawks would seal Nigeria’s place in the last four ahead of Sunday’s decisive clash against Burkina Faso’s Young Stallions. For Togo, the encounter represents a must-win fixture to keep their hopes of progressing beyond the group stage alive.
Muiz Adeleke starred in Nigeria’s opening win with two penalties, while Olayemi Ayinla and Lucky Oraro also found the back of the net. Ghana’s goals came through captain Kelvin Nkrumah from the penalty spot and Mohammed Zaidan, who was set up by Nkrumah.
Head coach Abdu Maikaba has stressed the importance of maintaining momentum as the Flying Eagles continue their quest to qualify for next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Ghana.
Three points on Thursday would take Nigeria to six points and guarantee qualification for the semi-finals, allowing the Flying Eagles to approach their final group game against Burkina Faso with confidence as they continue the defence of their WAFU B title.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
