Flying Eagles. Photo: Team
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles suffered a 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their final Group B match of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 tournament on Sunday at the Lycee Scientifique de Yamoussoukro but still secured qualification for the semi-finals of the competition.
The defeat came after Nigeria had opened their campaign with victories over Ghana and Togo, beating the Ghanaians 4-2 before defeating Togo 3-0 to book their place in the knockout stage.
Burkina Faso took the lead in the 23rd minute when a player headed home from a well-delivered corner kick.
The Burkinabe doubled their advantage 13 minutes later with a stunning free-kick from around 30 yards that flew past the Nigerian goalkeeper and into the net.
The goal gave Burkina Faso a deserved two-goal lead going into the break.
The Flying Eagles tried to find their footing after the restart and pushed forward in search of a response, but struggled to trouble their opponents.
Nigeria threw everything forward in the second half in an effort to get on the scoresheet, but they were unable to break down a disciplined Burkina Faso side that remained solid at the back.
Despite the defeat, the Flying Eagles had already done enough in their opening two games to secure their place in the knockout stage.
They will now shift their attention to the semi-finals as they continue their quest for success in the competition which serves as the qualifiers for the U-20 AFCON.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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