By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria’s U20 national team, the Flying Eagles, are gearing up for a high-stakes clash against Côte d’Ivoire in the final of the WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament, set for Wednesday at the WAFU Zone B Centre of Excellence in Prampram, Ghana.
The Young Elephants have been in imperious form, winning all four of their matches en route to the final.
Côte d’Ivoire opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory over Burkina Faso before posting back-to-back wins over Niger Republic (1–0) and Togo (2–0), showcasing both defensive resilience and attacking sharpness.
Nigeria, two-time FIFA U20 World Cup runners-up, booked their spot in the final after edging Niger Republic 4–3 on penalties in the semi-finals, following a goalless draw in regulation time.
Wednesday’s encounter presents an opportunity for Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubair to continue his impressive record.
Zubair guided Nigeria to the WAFU B U20 title in Togo last year and secured qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup via a strong performance at the 2023 U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
High-ranking officials, including the President of the Nigeria Football Federation and WAFU B President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), are expected to be in attendance for the final, which promises an intense and closely contested battle between two of West Africa’s finest youth teams.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
