The Nigerian Flying Eagles are aware that if they want to go past the group stage of this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship, they must perform at their peak when they play the Young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday.
The seven-time African champions lost to Burkina Faso’s Young Etalons by a single goal on Friday, and the Etalons’ one-goal loss to the Elephants two days after has made their path to the round of four more difficult.
With each team only required to play two games and a single loss putting a team at risk of elimination from a tournament, the complexities of a three-team group have emerged.
Nigeria needs to defeat the Ivorians by two goals in order to guarantee a spot in the semi-finals and the chance to continue fighting for her title, as the Ivorians and Burkinabes are tied at the top of the standings.
Flying Eagles vs Young Elephants
Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, president of the Nigeria Football Federation, expressed faith that the Flying Eagles can reinvent themselves and perform well against the Ivorians after watching them lose to a goal in the second half on Friday.
The game at the Municipal Stadium in Lome on Thursday will start at 4 p.m. Nigerian time.
