Burkina Faso beat Nigeria to win WAFU B U-20 title and deny Flying Eagles Afcon place

Burkina Faso produced a remarkable first-half performance to beat Nigeria 4-1 in the final of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship and prevent the Flying Eagles from qualifying automatically for the 2027 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Ghana.

The Young Stallions struck three times inside the opening 15 minutes, taking advantage of a nervous start from the defending champions and putting Nigeria under severe pressure before they had settled into the match.

Alassana Bagayogo opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and Burkina Faso doubled their advantage only a minute later through Loukman Asharaf Tapsoba.

Nigeria struggled to contain Burkina Faso’s attacking intensity, with the Flying Eagles unable to deal with the pace and pressure applied by their opponents. Issouf Dabo added a third goal in the 15th minute to leave the regional champions facing a substantial deficit.

The result left Abdu Maikaba’s side 3-0 down at half-time and in need of an extraordinary recovery to retain their title and secure the tournament’s qualification reward.

Nigeria improved after the interval and showed greater attacking intent. Their efforts produced a goal in the 53rd minute, when Abdulmuiz Adeleke pulled one back to give the Flying Eagles a possible route back into the final.

But Adeleke’s goal did not lead to a sustained comeback. Burkina Faso remained organised, defended their advantage effectively and continued to frustrate Nigeria as the match moved towards its conclusion.

Fadil Barro then settled the contest in the fifth minute of added time, scoring Burkina Faso’s fourth goal to complete a comprehensive victory for the Young Stallions.

The defeat was a particularly disappointing outcome for Nigeria, who had entered the final as holders of the WAFU B U-20 title. Instead, they surrendered their regional crown and missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

Burkina Faso’s fast start ultimately proved decisive. By the time Nigeria found a response, the Young Stallions had established a lead too large for the Flying Eagles to overcome, securing a 4-1 victory in the final on Sunday.