Côte d’Ivoire’s Young Elephants emerged champions of the 2025 WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament after a narrow 1-0 victory over Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in a tense final held on Wednesday in Accra, Ghana.
The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt mishandled a ball, allowing Zakaria Tindano to slot home the winner for Côte d’Ivoire. It was a heartbreaking finish for the Flying Eagles, who had battled hard throughout the contest.
Nigeria’s road to the final included a group stage draw with hosts Ghana, a commanding 4-1 win over Benin, and a dramatic semifinal triumph over Niger via penalty shootout.
Meanwhile, the Ivorians entered the final in red-hot form, having won all four of their previous matches. They kicked off the campaign with a 2-1 win against Burkina Faso, followed by a 1-0 victory over Niger Republic and a 2-0 result against Togo. In the semifinal, they displayed resilience by coming from behind to defeat Ghana 2-1.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the title, the Flying Eagles can take valuable lessons into the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, which runs from September 27 to October 19.
Nigeria has been drawn into Group F alongside Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway, and will be aiming to improve on their best-ever finishes as runners-up in 1989 and 2005.
