The Flying Eagles today paid the price for a lacklustre display when they lost 2-0 to Burkina Faso in a final Group B match of the WAFU B U20 AFCON qualifiers in Cote d’Ivoire.
Burkina Faso thus won Group B with seven points from three matches, Nigeria were runners-up on six points, while Ghana finished on two points after a scoreless draw with Togo today.
Togo were bottom with a point.
Burkina Faso will therefore take on Niger in one of the semifinals, while defending champions Nigeria face hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the tougher-looking semifinal.
The winners of both semifinals will qualify for the championship final as well as advance to the 2027 U20 AFCON to be hosted by Ghana.
The Burkinabes led 2-0 by the break with goals by Alassane Bagayogo and Mohamed Zongo.
In the second half, the Flying Eagles failed to chase the game as they did not play with any urgency or self-belief and so hardly troubled the opponents’ goal area.
