WAFU B U20 Championship: Flying Eagles Draw Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso
Nigeria’s U20 national team, the Flying Eagles, will face regional rivals Ghana, Togo and Burkina Faso in the group stage of this year’s West Africa Football Union (WAFU) B U20 Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday, placed the defending champions in Group B alongside Ghana’s Black Satellites, Togo’s Junior Sparrow Hawks and Burkina Faso’s Young Stallions. Group A comprises hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Benin Republic and Niger Republic.
Head Coach Abdu Maikaba and his squad are scheduled to depart Nigeria on Monday with a 23-man team as they begin their quest to successfully defend their regional title and secure one of the two qualification tickets to the 2026 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Ghana.
The Flying Eagles head into the tournament with an impressive pedigree, having won the U20 Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times while also finishing as runners-up at the FIFA U20 World Cup on two occasions.
Nigeria will also be looking to retain the WAFU B U20 Championship title after lifting the trophy at the last edition in Lomé in 2024, where the Flying Eagles defeated Ghana’s Black Satellites 2-1 in the final.
With familiar West African rivals standing between them and another continental qualification, Maikaba’s side will be aiming to build on their rich history by once again emerging as one of the region’s top two teams and booking a place at next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
