National Teams
Flying Eagles retain WAFU-B U-20 Championship title
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s U-20 men’s national team edged Ghana 2-1 to win the 2024 West Africa Zone B (WAFU-B) U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers title in Togo on Wednesday.
Kparobo Arierhi’s double secured a 2-1 victory for champions Nigeria, as they defended their WAFU U20 title against Ghana.
The Flying Eagles dominated the first half, with Arierhi’s precise left-footed finish in the 34th minute putting Nigeria ahead.
His second goal, a powerful right-footed strike, showcased his skill and composure.
Ghana turned up the intensity in the second half, eventually scoring in the 74th minute, but Nigeria’s defense held strong, ensuring their win.
With Arierhi named Man of the Match, both Nigeria and Ghana now advance to represent WAFU B at the Africa U20 Cup of Nations in South Africa next year.
With three wins out of four games and conceding a goal in each game, showed that the Nigerian team needed to work on their defence line ahead of the AFCON.
The Flying Eagles successfully retained the title they won in 2022 and will now shift focus on qualifying for the next FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The Nigerian team is yet to win the world title despite reaching the final twice and losing to Portugal and Argentina respectively.
