Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will begin the defence of their WAFU B U-20 Championship title against arch-rivals Ghana on Monday in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
The fixture is a repeat of the 2024 final, which Nigeria won 2-1 to retain the regional crown after first lifting the trophy in 2022.
The match will also be the first competitive outing for new head coach Abdu Maikaba, who is targeting a winning start.
“We are going for an outright victory against Ghana because our objective is to retain the trophy and we have to start winning our matches from Day One,” Maikaba said.
The encounter will kick off at 2:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. Nigeria time) at the Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro.
Nigeria heads into the tournament after a 2-1 victory over Athlétique Club de Zenuola in a warm-up friendly.
The Flying Eagles will also face Togo and Burkina Faso in Group B as they seek another appearance in the knockout stage.
