Nigeria U20 coach, Abdu Maikaba, says his boys will be out for a winning start against the Black Satellites of Ghana in their 2026 WAFU B U20 Championship opener on Monday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Nigeria and Ghana clash in what is a repeat of the last edition’s Final, as Group B action of this year’s begins in the Ivorian city of Yamoussoukro.
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.
Maikaba, himself a former assistant coach of the team, commences his competitive journey with the side as they aim to maintain Nigeria’s winning streak against their West African Neighbours.
“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 ahead of Monday’s clash.
Meanwhile, ahead of Monday’s battle, Maikaba’s charges edged Athletique Club de Zenuola 2-1 in a friendly match on Thursday. Gift Subi and substitute Muiz Adeleke scored the goals for the Flying Eagles.
Victory on Monday will put seven-time African champions Nigeria in good stead for a semi-final spot, with confrontations against Togo and Burkina Faso to come in the four-team Group B.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, who thumped Benin Republic 5-0 in the tournament opener on Sunday, are in Group A alongside Niger Republic.
The Nigeria v Ghana match kicks off at 2pm Cote d’Ivoire time (3pm Nigeria time) at the Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro.
