By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles opened their campaign at the WAFU B U-20 Championship in emphatic fashion, defeating arch-rivals Ghana 4-2 in a thrilling Group B clash on Monday.
The seven-time African champions made a dream start when Olayemi Ayinla fired home a stunning opener in the sixth minute.
Ghana responded through Mohammed Zaidan in the 23rd minute to restore parity, but Nigeria quickly regained control.
Lucky Oraro restored the Flying Eagles’ lead in the 30th minute with a free-kick that took a decisive deflection before Muiz Adeleke calmly converted a penalty eight minutes later to hand Nigeria a commanding 3-1 advantage at the break.
Head Coach Abdu Maikaba introduced Adamu Hussaini for Imrana Muhammad at the start of the second half as the Flying Eagles looked to maintain their dominance.
Ghana reduced the deficit in the 60th minute when Kelvin Nkrumah converted from the penalty spot, setting up a tense finale.
Despite sustained pressure from the Black Satellites, Nigeria held firm and continued to create chances.
Adeleke missed a clear one-on-one opportunity in the 84th minute but made amends five minutes later, confidently converting his second penalty of the match to seal an impressive 4-2 victory.
The result sends the Flying Eagles to the top of Group B and provides the perfect start to their quest for WAFU B U-20 Championship glory.
