LAGOS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's U-20 men's football team, the Flying Eagles, beat Ghana 2-0 on Sunday in the West African Football Union (WAFU) U-20 championship.
They played the opening match in Group B of the competition at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium, Niamey, Niger Republic.
Nigeria started the match on a bright note, with Aminu Muhammad opening the scoring in the 5th minute with a sublime finish that unsettled the Ghanaians.
Ghana tried to rally back but was stopped in their tracks by Nigeria's defense, marshaled by team captain Oluwatosin Adegbite.
In the second half, the Flying Eagles doubled their lead through substitute Ahmed Abdullahi in the 78th minute.
After the match, Nigeria's coach Ladan Bosso praised the resilience of his boys while assuring an improved side in the next match.
The Flying Eagles, seven-time African champions, will on Wednesday face Burkina Faso in the second and last game of the group at the same venue.
Cote d'Ivoire shocked host Niger Republic 1-0 in the Group A opener, while the Benin Republic beat Togo by the same margin in the same group.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the competition's semifinals, while only the two finalists will qualify for the 2023 Under-20 AFCON in Egypt.
All four semifinalists from the Egypt tournament will qualify to represent Africa in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia. ■
