Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, reigning champions of the WAFU B U-20 Championship, were left reeling after a shock 1-0 loss to Burkina Faso in their tournament opener.
With a lifeline hanging in the balance, the Nigerian side must now regroup for a crucial clash that could determine their future in the competition, Footballrover reports.
But what went wrong, and how can they turn things around?
Flying Eagles began their 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship journey on a sour note, suffering a narrow defeat to Burkina Faso.
The clash, held at the Stade Municipal in Lome, saw Aliyu Zubairu’s team struggle to make an impact, ultimately succumbing to a late goal.
The Nigerian side appeared out of sorts throughout the match, putting in a performance far below their usual standard.
Their defence, in particular, looked shaky, but goalkeeper Nathanial Nwosu managed to prevent an early disaster with a crucial save that kept the first half goalless.
Burkina Faso, however, remained resilient and eventually found the breakthrough in the 56th minute when Fandino Abib Coulibaly netted the decisive goal, leaving the Nigerian team with an uphill battle to salvage their campaign.
Flying Eagles must defeat Cote d’Ivoire to survive Group B
Now, Nigeria must regroup and secure a vital win in their next and final group stage game against Cote d’Ivoire if they are to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
The high-stakes fixture is set to take place at the Stade Municipal on Thursday.
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