Flying Eagles edge Ivorian test as Subi and Adeleke strike in friendly win

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles stepped up their preparations for their WAFU B U-20 title defence with a 2-1 friendly victory over Ivorian Ligue 2 side Athletique Club de Zuenoula at the INPHB Stadium in Yamoussoukro on Thursday evening.

Head coach Abdul Maikaba’s side, who are gearing up for the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship, secured the win thanks to goals from Gift Subi and substitute Muiz Adeleke in what proved a competitive warm-up fixture in Ivory Coast.

Subi broke the deadlock to put the Nigerian U-20s in front, finishing off a move that rewarded the Flying Eagles’ disciplined approach against their well-organised opponents.

Adeleke then came off the bench to double Nigeria’s advantage, his strike ultimately proving decisive and giving Maikaba further attacking options to consider ahead of the regional tournament.

Zuenoula responded through Kone Umar, whose powerful effort beat the Nigerian goalkeeper to halve the deficit and set up a testing final spell for the Flying Eagles.

Despite the setback, Nigeria held firm to see out the contest, with the narrow win viewed within the camp as a valuable confidence boost as competitive action looms.

Preparation for WAFU B title defence

The game formed part of Nigeria’s build-up to the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship, where they will attempt to retain the crown they currently hold and, in the process, book a place at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

Maikaba and his staff are using the friendly programme to fine-tune tactics and assess squad options before the start of the regional competition, with the result in Yamoussoukro underlining both the team’s resilience and areas still to refine.

The Flying Eagles’ primary objective at the tournament will be to progress beyond the group stage and position themselves to successfully defend their WAFU B title, which would keep alive their longer-term ambitions on the continental and global stage.

Ghana test opens group campaign

Nigeria begin their WAFU B U-20 Championship campaign on Monday against long-time rivals Ghana’s Black Satellites, in a fixture widely expected to be one of the standout ties of the group phase.

After their opener against Ghana, the Flying Eagles are scheduled to face Togo on Thursday, 30 July, before concluding their group programme against Burkina Faso on Sunday, 2 August.

Advancing from the group will be the first step in a wider push not only to retain regional supremacy but also to secure qualification for the U-20 AFCON and, ultimately, the FIFA U-20 World Cup.