A place in Sunday’s final and qualification for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations will be at stake when Nigeria’s Flying Eagles take on hosts Côte d’Ivoire in a mouthwatering WAFU B U20 Championship semi-final on Wednesday evening.
The defending champions head into the last-four clash at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro determined to keep their title defence alive, but they face their toughest test yet against an Ivorian side that has won all its matches without conceding a goal.
Nigeria booked their place in the semi-finals as runners-up in Group B despite a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their final group game. The loss denied the Flying Eagles top spot and exposed defensive frailties that head coach Abdu Maikaba admits must be addressed if his team is to progress.
Speaking ahead of the encounter on Tuesday, Maikaba identified defensive discipline as his side’s biggest concern.
“We need to improve on our defensive approach to the game. Most especially in our last game, we conceded two goals from similar situations, and we are not happy about that,” he said.
