Nigeria U20 head coach, Abdu Maikaba, has credited the early goal for helping his side secure an opening-day 4-2 win over the Black Satellites of Ghana at the ongoing 2026 U20 WAFU B Championships, www.aclsports.com reports.
The Flying Eagles, who are the defending champions of the competition, kicked things off with a comfortable win at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro on Monday.
Speaking after the win, Maikaba, who previously served as an assistant for the Nigeria U20 side, said the opening goal gave his boys the confidence to secure the win over their perennial rivals.
”Anytime we play against Ghana, it is always a tough game. It could have gone either way, but we scored first, and it became an advantage for us. Getting our opening goal in the first five minutes gave us the confidence to continue with the game,” Maikaba began to newsmen after the contest.
”Despite the fact that Ghana dictated play in the first 25 minutes, we realized the mistakes and made the necessary changes before halftime, and we were able to score two more goals.
”The second half was more tactical from both sides. We played in such a way that we remained behind the ball, waiting for transitions to give us another goal via the penalty spot to give us a total victory over Ghana,” he added.
The former Akwa United head coach said the result against the Ghanaians was important, but the job is not done yet, as they need to prepare very well for the remaining group games against Togo and Burkina Faso.
”Every match is important, and you take them as they come. The second game against Togo is equally important, as they are no pushovers. We have to put our heads down, plan very well as we aim for qualification to the next round before we start thinking about Burkina Faso,” Maikaba concluded.
