Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Survive Ivory Coast Scare To Reach Tournament Final

According to Ireporter Online, Nigeria will face Burkina Faso in Sunday’s final, with the regional title and the only available qualification ticket for the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations at stake.

The semi-final encounter saw Ivory Coast take control early and open the scoring in the 17th minute through Namory Keita after putting pressure on the Nigerian defence.

The Flying Eagles struggled to find their rhythm in the opening stages, but goalkeeper Clinton Lawani produced several important saves to keep Nigeria within reach before the interval.

Nigeria returned stronger after the break and eventually found the equaliser in the 67th minute when captain Habila Simeon powered in a header from a long throw.

Both teams failed to secure a winning goal during regulation time, forcing the match into extra time.

Nigeria moved ahead in the 93rd minute when Aliyu Abubakar connected with a header to give the Flying Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

However, Ivory Coast responded before the end of the first period of extra time, capitalising on defensive lapses to restore parity and take the match into a penalty shootout.

Goalkeeper Clinton Lawani once again became Nigeria’s hero, saving two penalties as the Flying Eagles converted their chances to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso booked their place in the final after defeating Niger 2-0 in their semi-final encounter, with both goals coming during extra time after a goalless 90 minutes.

Sunday’s final will be a rematch of the group-stage meeting between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, where the Young Stallions defeated the Flying Eagles 2-0.

Despite that earlier setback, Nigeria improved throughout the competition and now have the opportunity to defend their WAFU B U20 Championship crown while also securing qualification for the 2027 U20 AFCON.

The Flying Eagles will be aiming to complete their journey with victory in the final and claim the region’s sole ticket to Africa’s premier U20 competition.