Nigeria’s Flying Eagles successfully defended their WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship crown after edging rivals Ghana 2-1 in the final on Wednesday.
The victory sees the Flying Eagles retain the regional title they first won in 2022, capping an impressive turnaround after a difficult start to the tournament.
Softfootball understands that striker Kparobo Arierhi was the hero for Nigeria, scoring both goals to inspire Aliyu Zubairu’s side to another regional triumph.
Arierhi opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before doubling Nigeria’s advantage later in the contest with his second goal of the evening.
Ghana reduced the deficit in the 74th minute to set up a tense finish, but the Flying Eagles stood firm to secure the victory and lift the trophy.
Nigeria’s title-winning campaign came after recovering from a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their opening group match.
The Flying Eagles bounced back with a 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire to qualify for the semi-finals before staging another comeback victory against Niger Republic to book their place in the final.
With their progression to the final, both Nigeria and Ghana also secured qualification for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, where they will compete for continental honours and a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
