The Flying Eagles of Nigeria fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Burkina Faso in their opening fixture of the WAFU B U-20 Championship, held in Togo. Fandino Abib Coulibaly delivered the decisive blow, scoring the only goal of the match for Burkina Faso just four minutes shy of the hour mark.
Despite being the defending champions, Nigeria’s performance was far from their usual standard. Throughout the full 90 minutes, the Flying Eagles failed to create any clear-cut chances and struggled to find any attacking rhythm. Their lackluster showing leaves them in a difficult position in the tournament, as they now face the pressure of a must-win scenario in their final group game.
The Nigerian side will have to regroup quickly and secure a victory against Cote d’Ivoire in their next match if they hope to progress to the semi-finals. That all-important clash will be held at the Stade Municipal next Thursday, and anything less than a win will see the defending champions eliminated from the competition.
On the other hand, Burkina Faso will look to build on their winning start as they prepare for their second Group B match against the Ivorians on Monday. A win in that game would likely guarantee them a place in the semi-finals, leaving the Flying Eagles with no room for error.
