Holders Flying Eagles of Nigeria began their title defence at the 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Burkina Faso at the Stade Municipal in Lomé.
The Nigerian side, led by Aliyu Zubairu, struggled to find their rhythm throughout the encounter and produced an underwhelming performance against a determined Burkina Faso team. Softfootball reports that the Flying Eagles were fortunate to head into the break on level terms, thanks to goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu, who made a crucial save to deny the Burkinabes in the first half.
Burkina Faso eventually found the breakthrough four minutes before the hour mark when Fandino Abib Coulibaly finished clinically to hand his side a deserved lead.
Nigeria pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but failed to create enough clear-cut opportunities, leaving them with a difficult task in the race for a place in the semi-finals.
The Flying Eagles must now defeat Côte d’Ivoire in their final Group B fixture next Thursday at the Stade Municipal to stand any realistic chance of progressing to the knockout stage.
Burkina Faso, meanwhile, will take on Côte d’Ivoire in their second group game on Monday as they look to secure qualification.
the defeat piles early pressure on the defending champions, who must produce a much-improved display in their final group game to keep their hopes of retaining the WAFU B U-20 title alive.
