Côte d’Ivoire booked a spot in the WAFU B U-20 Championship final with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over hosts Ghana on Sunday, setting up a thrilling clash with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles.
The Ivorians were forced to dig deep after conceding just two minutes into the semi-final, when Benjamin Tsivanyo fired Ghana into an early lead.
But they bounced back strongly, with Abdoul Bamba levelling the score from the penalty spot before Ali Kone netted the decisive goal with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Earlier in the day, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles overcame Niger Republic in a tense first semi-final that ended goalless after 90 minutes.
The encounter was settled by penalties, with Nigeria edging it 4-3.
Goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt was the hero of the shootout, pulling off a crucial save that earned him the Player of the Match award.
The Flying Eagles are using the WAFU B U-20 tournament as part of their preparations for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
Nigeria qualified for the global event after reaching the semi-finals of the U-20 AFCON in Egypt, where they finished third.
At the World Cup in Chile, the Flying Eagles have been drawn into a group with Colombia, Norway, and Saudi Arabia.
Historically, Nigeria’s U-20 team has had notable success on the global stage, finishing as runners-up at the 1989 and 2005 editions in Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands, losing 2-0 to Portugal and 2-1 to Argentina, respectively.
They also claimed third place in the 1985 tournament, defeating hosts Soviet Union (now Russia) on penalties.
