Hopes have been renewed for Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, as the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B has officially petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to grant the sub-region an additional qualification slot for the upcoming U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
If approved, the decision would allow the Flying Eagles to join the continental showpiece, which is set to be hosted by neighboring Ghana.
The decision to approach CAF was reached through a consensus among the four semi-finalists of the recently concluded WAFU B U-20 Championship: Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Niger Republic.
In its formal appeal, WAFU B urged CAF to award the zone a third participating team slot alongside host nation Ghana and the zonal tournament winners, ensuring Nigeria’s inclusion.
To strengthen its argument, WAFU B cited a similar precedent set during the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt:
Tunisia originally finished third in the North African (UNAF) qualifiers behind Egypt and Morocco, missing out on direct qualification.
However, after original host nation Côte d’Ivoire withdrew and Egypt stepped in as the new host, CAF adjusted the tournament roster to include Tunisia.
This revision expanded the 2025 tournament to 13 participating nations across three groups.
CAF is expected to deliberate on WAFU B’s submission before issuing an official ruling. For the Flying Eagles, a favorable verdict would offer a welcome reprieve, keeping their continental campaign alive following a challenging WAFU B tournament run.
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.
