Nigeria and Ghana will clash in what is a repeat of the last edition’s final, as Group B edition of this year’s WAFU B U-20 Championship begins in the Ivorian city of Yamoussoukro today.

The Flying Eagles won that encounter at the Stade Kegue in Lome, Togo, in October 2024 to retain the trophy they had won in Niamey two years earlier.

Coach Isa Ladan Bosso led the squad that triumphed in Niamey, while Aliyu Zubairu was the chief strategist of the team that successfully retained the trophy in Lome after a 2-1 defeat of the Black Satellites.

Today, Coach Abdu Maikaba, a former assistant coach of the team, commences his competitive odyssey as the team’s lead strategist in the big clash with the feisty West African neighbours. His one-liner underscores his confidence in the work he has done with the squad and leaves no one in doubt of his mission in Cote d’Ivoire.

“We are going for an outright victory against Ghana because our objective is to retain the trophy and we have to start winning our matches from Day One,” Maikaba said.

The match kicks off at 2.00 p.m. Côte d’Ivoire time (3.00 p.m. Nigeria time) at the Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro.

Before today’s battle, Maikaba’s charges edged Athletique Club de Zenuola 2-1 in a friendly match on Thursday.

Victory today will stand Nigeria in good stead for a semifinal spot, with confrontations against Togo and Burkina Faso to come in the four-team Group B.

Matchday 2 on July 30 will see the seven-time African champions trade tackles with the Sparrow Hawks of Togo at the same Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro. The game is scheduled to get underway at 2.00 p.m. local time (3.00 p.m. Nigeria time).

The Cup-holders will wrap up their Group B matches against Young Stallions of Burkina Faso on August 2, also at the Lycée Scientifique, with kick-off time scheduled for 2.00 p.m. local time (3.00 p.m. Nigeria time).

Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic and Niger Republic make up Group A. (Guardian)

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