Nigeria’s Flying Eagles bounced back from an opening-day defeat to secure a crucial 2-1 comeback victory over Côte d’Ivoire in their second Group B match at the 2024 WAFU Zone B U-20 Championship in Togo on Thursday, Softfootball reports.
The defending WAFU Zone B champions went into the encounter under pressure after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their opening fixture, knowing only a victory would keep their qualification hopes alive.
Things became even more difficult when Côte d’Ivoire took the lead, leaving Aliyu Zubairu’s side with a mountain to climb.
However, the Flying Eagles responded brilliantly, showing resilience and determination to turn the game around. Kparobo Arierhi restored parity before Clinton Jephta completed the comeback with the winning goal to hand Nigeria a deserved victory.
The result secured the Flying Eagles a place in the semi-finals, where they will face Niger Republic on Sunday for a place in the final.
Nigeria will also be aiming to successfully defend the WAFU Zone B title they won in 2022 after defeating Benin Republic 3-1 in the final held in Niger Republic.
Softfootball gathered that the ongoing WAFU Zone B Championship serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, with the host nation yet to be confirmed.
The four semi-finalists at the 2025 U-20 AFCON will qualify to represent Africa at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, making the competition a vital step on the road to global football.
