Nigeria's Flying Eagles beat hosts Côte d'Ivoire 4-3 on penalties on Wednesday evening to reach the final of the 2026 WAFU B U-20 Championship. The semi-final finished 2-2 after extra time.

Lawani and Simeon Drag the Flying Eagles Back

Côte d'Ivoire set the tempo from kick-off and went ahead in the 16th minute through Kaita. Goalkeeper Clinton Lawani had already turned away chances in the 12th and 14th minutes to keep Nigeria within reach. The hosts led 1-0 at the interval.

Lawani was again decisive in the 59th minute, parrying a corner that looked certain to double the deficit. Eight minutes later, captain Habila Simeon rose to head in a pull-back and level the tie at 1-1, where it stayed until extra time.

Extra Time Swings Twice at the WAFU B U-20 Championship

Aliyu Abubakar struck three minutes into the additional period to put Nigeria 2-1 ahead. Gift Subi passed up the chance to settle it in the 100th minute, shooting wide after a solo run, and Côte d'Ivoire answered immediately to make it 2-2 before the first period of extra time closed.

Neither side found a third. From the spot, Nigeria held their nerve to win the shootout 4-3.

U-20 AFCON Qualification Rides on One Place

Nigeria arrived in the last four as Group B runners-up after a 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso, their only loss of the tournament, following group wins over Ghana and Togo.

Reaching the final does not qualify Nigeria for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. CAF allocates two places to each zonal union, but the host nation takes one of its own zone's slots. Ghana host the 2027 tournament and belong to WAFU B, which leaves the region a single place — and it goes to the champion.

Ghana's group-stage exit removed the one exception. Had the Black Satellites reached the final, their opponent would have gone through as runners-up, since Ghana's place is already secure. They finished third in Group B instead.

Nigeria carry the strongest record in the competition's history into the final, holding seven U-20 AFCON titles. The Nigerians are also back-to-back WAFU B champions, having won the 2024 final in Lomé by a 2-1 scoreline against Ghana.

Their opponent in the final comes from the other semi-final between Burkina Faso and Niger.