Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will face hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the WAFU B U-20 Championship semi-finals after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso on Sunday.
The defending champions saw their perfect start to the tournament come to an abrupt end as the Young Stallions produced a clinical first-half display to claim top spot in Group B.
Burkina Faso broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute after making the most of a corner-kick situation, with a powerful header beating the Nigerian goalkeeper.
Nigeria struggled to respond and were punished again 13 minutes later when Burkina Faso doubled their advantage with a well-struck long-range free kick.
The Flying Eagles entered the decisive Group B clash with maximum points after impressive victories over Ghana and Togo.
Nigeria defeated Ghana 4-2 in their opening game before recording a convincing 3-0 victory over Togo, raising expectations of another strong performance against Burkina Faso.
However, the Young Stallions proved a different proposition, frustrating Nigeria’s attacking players and protecting their two-goal advantage throughout the second half.
The result saw Burkina Faso finish top of Group B with seven points, while Nigeria settled for second place.
That second-place finish means the Flying Eagles will now meet hosts Côte d’Ivoire, who topped Group A, in the semi-finals.
In the other last-four encounter, Burkina Faso will take on Niger, who finished second in Group A.
Both semi-final matches are scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, with the winners securing places in the final where the winner will join Ghana in the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Nigeria, the defeat represents a major test of their character.
The Flying Eagles must quickly recover from the setback and produce a much-improved performance against Côte d’Ivoire if they are to keep their hopes of retaining the WAFU B U-20 title alive.
After two dominant wins, Nigeria now face their toughest challenge of the tournament and there is no room for another slip-up.
