Nigeria will begin its quest for an eighth continental title when it faces Senegal at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt on Sunday. Ladan Bosso’s side qualified for the U‑20 AFCON in Egypt by emerging as champions of the WAFU B U‑20 regional tournament in May 2022 in Niger. In the process, Bosso’s team defeated the 2021 AFCON cup holders Ghana 2‑0, beat Ivory Coast 2‑1 in the semi‑final, and overcame Benin Republic 3‑1 on the final day to be crowned WAFU B regional champions.
The Flying Eagles return to the tournament with the sole mission of winning the trophy after missing the previous edition in Mauritania. They have been crowned champions seven times, first in 1983 and most recently in 2015, when they defeated host nation Senegal 1‑0 in the final. The team has lost only two finals (1999 and 2007) and finished third on three occasions (1995, 2005, 2013) and fourth in 2019. Head Coach Ladan Bosso remains upbeat about his squad’s readiness to sustain their winning mentality as the tournament kicks off today.
“We have been able to sustain the same mood we had in camp before going for the WAFU B U‑20 Championship in Niamey, which we won. Since then, we have played a series of matches and scored plenty of goals, and that is immense for a winning mentality to stay within a team,” Bosso said. “However, we are not going to under‑rate any of our opponents. Defeating Zambia in Abuja was good for confidence, but we know the championship mood will be tougher. We will be ready to do the country proud.”
Our correspondent learned that Belgium‑based Ahmed Abdullahi has joined the Flying Eagles’ squad in Cairo. The KAA Gent forward arrived in the city in the early hours of Friday morning. Abdullahi was part of the team that won the WAFU B U‑20 Championship in Niger last May. He scored one goal at the regional tournament before a head injury against Burkina Faso ruled him out, and he is expected to provide additional attacking options for Coach Bosso.
After their Sunday game, the Flying Eagles—two‑time FIFA World Cup runners‑up and one‑time bronze medalists—will face hosts Egypt on Wednesday and Mozambique on Saturday, all at the same venue. The four semi‑finalists from the 12‑team championship in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U‑20 World Cup finals in Indonesia, scheduled for 20 May to 11 June later this year.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has appointed Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed for Sunday’s Group A match at the Cairo International Stadium. He will be assisted by Tunisian Mohamed Bakir (assistant referee 1), Algerian Hamza Bouzit (assistant referee 2) and Ivorian Franklin Kpan.
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