The Flying Eagles of Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 to win the 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship trophy for the second consecutive time.
The team endured a poor start in the competition following a 1-0 loss to Burkina Faso in the opening match before they found their feet to soar into the final.
Kparobo Arierhi scored a brace to ensure Nigeria win the trophy over their arch-rivals, Ghana in Lome.
The Flying Eagles dominated a large part of the encounter, but it turned out a game of two halves and Nigeria were imperious in the first half while Ghana turned on the heat in the second.
Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Harcourt came up with a clever save when the Ghanaians broke through from the left with a cross and a header in the 14th minute, and then punched the ball away from a point-blank shot as the Satellites found their way into the box from the right in added time.
Arierho opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a stunning finish into the bottom corner after receiving the pass from the edge of the box.
He added the second goal two minutes after the interval with a poacher’s finish to beat the goalkeeper from close range.
Ghana came out with intent and purpose aiming to find their way back into the game with a series of attacking onslaught which rattled the Flying Eagles.
The pressure finally paid off for the Ghanaians in the 74th minute, as they reduced the tally following a goalmouth scramble.
However, the Flying Eagles held on to retain their trophy won two years ago in Niger Republic, and with Kparobo Arierhi collecting the Man-of-the-Match award.
Nigeria and Ghana will represent WAFU B at next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, to be hosted by South Africa.
