Nigeria U-20 Coach Maikaba Unsatisfied Despite 4-2 Win Over Ghana
Nigeria Under-20 coach Abdu Maikaba expressed disappointment despite a 4-2 victory over Ghana in the WAFU B U-20 Championship opener in Yamoussoukro.
The Flying Eagles got off to a flying start, with Muiz Adeleke scoring twice, plus goals from Olayemi Ayinla and Oraro Lucky, securing three points.
Nigeria took an early lead when Ayinla netted in the sixth minute, followed by Lucky’s goal in the 30th minute.
Adeleke added a third just before halftime, putting the defending champions in command.
Ghana fought back with two goals to narrow the gap, but Adeleke converted an 89th‑minute penalty to seal the win.
Despite the comfortable result, Maikaba felt his side wasted several clear‑cut chances late in the match.
He said, “In the last ten minutes we created three or four scoring opportunities that we missed narrowly.”
The coach attributed the misses to anxiety, noting that calmer finishing could have pushed the tally beyond four.
Maikaba revealed that the early goal was part of the pre‑match plan to strike within the opening 15 minutes.
He added that matches against Ghana are always tough, but scoring first gave Nigeria a psychological edge.
The victory keeps Nigeria on course for a third straight WAFU B U‑20 title, having won in 2022 and defended it in 2024 with a 2‑1 final win over Ghana.
The Flying Eagles will face Togo on July 30 and Burkina Faso on August 2, both matches kicking off at 2 p.m. local time (3 p.m. in Nigeria) at the Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro.
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