Flying Eagles battle Squirrels as WAFU B final holds today

Flying Eagles during a recent training. Photo/Twitter/nff

• Flamingos, Ethiopia clash for India 2022 World Cup ticket

Players and officials of national U-20 football team, the Flying Eagles, are determined to beat the Squirrels of Benin Republic in today’s final of the West African Football Union B tournament in Niamey.

Both teams have already qualified for the 17th Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, Egypt 2023, but today’s encounter is to determine which of them is the best U-20 squad in the zone.

Like Nigeria, Benin Republic won their pool in the group phase, above second –placed Cote d’Ivoire and then defeated Burkina Faso, second–placed team in Group B, 2-1, in the first semifinals match on Wednesday.

Seven–time African champions, Flying Eagles of Nigeria, also defeated Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 after extra time in a tense and turgid affair at the Stade General Seyni Kountché, the winner coming from the penalty spot 21 minutes into extra time after both teams were locked at 1-1 following regulation time.

Today’s encounter will confer bragging rights on the winning side and immense confidence going into next year’s continental finals and Coach Ladan Bosso said yesterday that his boys are ready to go all out for the trophy.

“We are happy to have the AFCON ticket under our belts now, but we want more. The Cup is now within reach and we will go all out for it. We want to be WAFU B champions. That will give us tremendous boost going into the African championship next year,” Bosso stated.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U-17 girls, Flamingos, are pumped up to do the hard work away from home by scoring as many goals as possible against hosts, Ethiopia, when both teams clash in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final round, first leg encounter in Addis Ababa