Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will begin their quest for another regional crown as they take on hosts Ghana in the opening match of the 2025 West Africa Football Union (WAFU) U-20 Boys Cup on Thursday at the Prampram Centre in Accra.
The Group A clash pits two of West Africa’s fiercest rivals against each other in what is expected to be a thrilling curtain-raiser to the tournament.
Led by head coach Aliyu Zubairu, the Nigerian U-20 side are the defending champions, having won the last two editions of the competition held in Niger Republic and Togo.
The team will be captained by the influential Daniel Bameyi, who headlines a 20-man squad selected by Zubairu. The tournament will serve as part of Nigeria’s long-term preparations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup scheduled to take place later this year in Chile.
Nigeria booked their place at the World Cup by finishing third at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt two months ago. That experience is expected to benefit the team as they aim to maintain their dominance in the sub-region.
Following their opener against Ghana, the Flying Eagles will face Benin Republic on Sunday, July 13, in what will be their final group stage match.
In Group B, Ivory Coast will compete alongside Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Togo. The Ivorians will open their campaign against the Junior Stallions of Burkina Faso.
The 2025 WAFU-B tournament is scheduled to run from July 10 to July 23. While it was initially intended to feature teams from the broader WAFU A and B regions in an expanded format, organizers ultimately reverted to a WAFU B-only competition.