Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their defence of the WAFU B U20 Championship with a 1-0 loss to Burkina Faso on Friday evening at the Municipal Stadium in Lome.
The game started with a missed opportunity for Nigeria when Kparobo Arierhi was put through on goal, but his shot failed to hit the target. Burkina Faso responded immediately, forcing Nigerian goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu into an early save.
In the 22nd minute, Nwosu was called into action again, calmly catching a free-kick sent into his area. Burkina Faso continued to press, with a header drifting wide just four minutes later.
Nigeria created a promising chance when Kenneth Igboke advanced into the penalty area, but his shot missed the target. Nwosu kept Nigeria level, making another crucial save in the 33rd minute from close range.
The second half saw Nigeria’s Nasiru Salihu attempt an ambitious shot from distance, but it went far off target. In the 66th minute, Burkina Faso finally broke the deadlock. Coulibaly Dramane capitalized on a poorly cleared set piece, firing the ball past Nwosu to give the Young Stallions the lead.
Despite being the defending champions, Nigeria struggled to create clear chances and could not equalize before the final whistle.
The Flying Eagles will now face Ivory Coast in their next group-stage match, needing a win to keep their hopes of advancing to the next round alive.
