August 2, 2026 | 6:18 pmNigeria’s
Flying Eagles were beaten 2-0 by Burkina Faso on Sunday, but still qualified for the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship as Group B runners-up.Coached by Abdu Maikaba, the team started the tournament strongly with a 4-2 win over Ghana and a 3-0 victory against Togo, which put them in good stead for qualification.However, they struggled against Burkina Faso, who topped Group B with 7 points from 3 games.
Nigeria finished second on 6 points. Ghana came third with 2 points after a 0-0 draw with Togo, who ended bottom on 1 point.Burkina Faso broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Alassana Bagayogo, who headed in from a corner. They made it 2-0 13 minutes later when Mohamed Zongo scored a brilliant 30-yard free-kick past the Nigerian goalkeeper.
The Flying Eagles played better in the second half but couldn’t break down a well-organized Burkinabe defense.With the result, Burkina Faso will face Niger in one semi-final, while Nigeria will play hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the other.The winners of both semi-finals will not only play in the final, but will also qualify for the 2027 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations to be hosted by Ghana.
