Flying Eagles Draw Tough Group with Ghana and Benin for 2025 WAFU U-20 Tournament
Nigeria’s U-20 football team, the Flying Eagles, have been placed in a tough Group A for the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Boys’ Cup of Nations. They will face long-time rivals Ghana and neighbouring country Benin Republic.
The tournament, which helps teams qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, will now take place from 10 to 23 July 2025 at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram, Ghana. It was originally planned for June but had to be rescheduled.
The Flying Eagles, led by coach Aliyu Zubairu, will return to camp in Abuja to continue their training. The competition is expected to be very competitive.
Matches between Nigeria and Ghana are always exciting and are often called the “Jollof Derby.” Nigeria has won the most recent encounters. The senior Super Eagles beat Ghana in the Unity Cup last month, and the Flying Eagles defeated Ghana’s U-20 team 2-1 in the final of last year’s WAFU B tournament.
Group B also looks strong, with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo all competing for a place in the semi-finals. Only the top two teams from each group will go through, so every match is important.
Only teams from WAFU Zone B are taking part this year, as Zone A teams were removed for not meeting competition rules.
The WAFU B tournament is seen as a great opportunity for young West African players to show their talent. It will also help Nigeria prepare for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, which will run from 27 September to 19 October.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are one of Africa’s most successful youth teams. They have won the U-20 Africa Cup seven times and have finished as runners-up twice at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. They are hoping to add more trophies to their proud history.
