2022 U-20 WAFU ZONE B: FLYING EAGLES OF NIGERIA TO PLAY AGAINST IVORY COAST IN SEMI-FINALS
Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals of the 2022 U-20 WAFU Zone B tournament in Niger Republic, Completesports.com reports.
The semi-final pairing was confirmed after the Flying Eagles were confirmed as Group B winners.
The Ladan Bosso-led team finished top in the group after Burkina Faso beat defending champions of the WAFU Zone B Black Satellites of Ghana 2-1 on Saturday.
At the 2020 WAFU Zone B tournament in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire scored a late goal to force the Flying Eagles to a 1-1 draw.
The Ivorians advanced to the semi-finals alongside Ghana while the Flying Eagles crashed out at the group stage.
Meanwhile, the semi-finals fixture between the Flying Eagles and Côte d’Ivoire is billed for Tuesday, 17 May.
The other last four tie will see Benin Republic take on Burkina Faso.
The two teams that progress to the final will automatically qualify for the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt which will run from 18 February to 12 March.
Also, the top four teams from the U-20 AFCON in Egypt will qualify to the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.
The Flying Eagles are the most successful team when it comes to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations with seven titles.
Their last triumph in the age-grade tournament was at the 2015 edition in Senegal under the guidance of Manu Garba.
Other editions which the Flying Eagles have won include 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005 and 2011.
From 1979 until 1989, the African representatives at the FIFA U-20 World Cup were determined purely on a home and away qualifying basis without a final tournament, with the African champions determined through the same qualification.
Since 1991 there has been a qualifying stage followed by a final tournament played by 8 teams in a chosen country.
On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Youth Championship to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, similar to the senior’s version, Africa Cup of Nations.
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