Nigeria’s Flying Eagles opened their 2025 WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against arch-rivals Ghana’s Black Satellites at the Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Thursday.
The highly anticipated Group A clash lived up to its billing as a tense West African derby, with both sides showcasing grit but ultimately sharing the spoils.
The Black Satellites seized the initiative in the 26th minute. Captain Musbau Azeez broke the deadlock, firing past the Nigerian keeper to send the home crowd into raptures. Ghana maintained significant pressure after the goal, forcing the Flying Eagles onto the back foot. The Nigerian frustration manifested in a yellow card for their own captain, Daniel Bameyi, following a heavy tackle in the 33rd minute.
Despite Nigeria showing more urgency and pressing for an equalizer towards the end of the first half, Ghana’s defense held firm, allowing them to take their 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Flying Eagles emerged with renewed determination in the second half. Their efforts to level the score were momentarily thwarted when a strong penalty appeal in the 66th minute was waved away by the referee. Defender Odinaka Okoro came agonizingly close minutes later, seeing his well-struck free kick sail narrowly off target in the 76th minute.
As the clock ticked down, Nigeria threw everything forward. Their relentless pressure finally yielded reward in the 84th minute. A corner kick delivered into a dangerous area was met emphatically by the head of Mohammed Abdulahi, who powered the ball home to spark celebrations among the Nigerian contingent and secure a valuable point.
The draw leaves both teams with work to do in the group stage. The Flying Eagles’ attention now turns to their next fixture, where they will face the Young Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Sunday. Ghana will also be in action on the same matchday.
The result sets up an intriguing group, with Nigeria demonstrating the resilience to salvage a point on the road against a strong Ghanaian side.
