Nigeria’s Flying Eagles fell short of retaining their West Africa Football Union (WAFU) U-20 Boys Cup title after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the final held in Accra, Ghana, on Wednesday.
The final, played at the University of Ghana Stadium, saw both sides enter the clash with unbeaten records, having displayed dominant performances throughout the tournament. However, the much-anticipated showdown delivered limited goalmouth action, with both defences standing firm for most of the game.
Nigeria had their best moments in the second half, particularly around the hour mark, when goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt pulled off a string of vital saves to deny the Young Elephants and keep the contest level.
As the game seemed destined for a penalty shootout, drama unfolded in stoppage time. A seemingly routine free-kick into Nigeria’s box was mishandled by Harcourt, and Ivorian forward Zakaria Tindano pounced on the loose ball to score the winner in the 91st minute. The goal marked Tindano’s third of the tournament and sealed a perfect campaign for the Ivorians, who won every match en route to lifting the trophy.
Earlier in the day, host nation Ghana claimed the bronze medal after a 2-0 victory over Niger in the third-place match. Aziz Musibau starred for the Black Satellites, converting a 70th-minute penalty before sealing the win with a second goal in the 78th minute, finishing off a cross from Kelvin Nkrumah.
Despite the loss, Nigeria’s young squad showed promise throughout the tournament and will look to build on the experience ahead of future continental competitions.
