By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s head coach Aliyu Zubairu has hailed his team’s resilience following their 1–1 draw against Ghana in the opening match of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U20 Championship.
The Super Falcons’ battled back from a goal down to secure a valuable point in the West African derby, with Ibrahim Muhammed heading home a late equalizer in the closing stages of the contest.
Speaking after the match, Zubairu acknowledged the intensity of the fixture, which was marked by physical battles and high emotions, stemming from the historic rivalry between the two nations.
“Generally, it was a good match. The Ghanaians came all out, wanting to take revenge, and that made the game more physical,” Zubairu told reporters.
“The boys rose to the occasion and performed better in the second half to get the equalizer. Considering it was the first match, they gave a good account of themselves.”
The result leaves Group A finely balanced, with Nigeria now turning their attention to a crucial second group game against Benin Republic on Sunday.
A win would move the Flying Eagles closer to a semi-final spot in the regional competition.
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.
