Nigeria’s under-20 men’s team, the Flying Eagles, defeated the Black Satellites of Ghana 2-1 in the final of the WAFU B U20 Championship on Wednesday, Afrosport reports.
The Flying Eagles were led to victory by the brilliance of Kparobo Ariehri as they defended the title they won last time out in Niger Republic in 2022.
We win!
Fulltime in Lome
Ghana🇬🇭 1-2 🇳🇬Nigeria
Kparobo Arierhi’s two goals in the final hands Nigeria the WAFU B U20 title.#SoarFlyingEagles pic.twitter.com/vGu1UYzc6r
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) October 30, 2024
Aliyu Zubairu’s side took charge of the game very early but a goal didn’t come until the 34th minute when Ariehri broke the deadlock inside the Stade Kegue in Lome, Togo. The Beyond Limits FA smashed home a left-footed shot that crept into the bottom corner from the edge of the Ghanaian area.
Ten minutes later, he got himself a brace with another brilliant effort to double Nigeria’s lead and give them more comfortable breathing space just before the first half whistle is blown.
The Black Satellites, however, provided an interesting end to the game as they drew one back in the 74th minute through Jerry Afriyie but it ended up being a consolation goal.
The two teams – Nigeria and Ghana – will represent the WAFU B zone at next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa having ended as finalists.
The 2025 U20 AFCON will serve as the African qualifiers for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, as the final four teams will secure automatic qualification and represent the continent on the global stage.
