Nigeria’s Flying Eagles rebounded from their initial draw against Ghana to secure a decisive 4-1 victory over the Benin Republic in their second and final group match of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U-20 Boys Cup held in Accra on Sunday, as reported.
The match, which took place at the Prampram Centre, witnessed Nigeria overcoming an early challenge to finish strongly and advance to the semi-finals.
Benin Republic opened the scoring in the 24th minute with Junior Olugbade curling a free-kick into the bottom corner, catching the Flying Eagles off guard.
The Cheetahs’ early pressure was effective, leaving Nigeria to chase the game once more. However, similar to their 1-1 draw with Ghana on Thursday, Aliyu Zubairu’s squad responded admirably.
Striker Flying Eagle equalized for Nigeria in the 39th minute following a well-coordinated team effort, linking up effectively with Divine Oliseh before placing the ball past the goalkeeper.
This marked Abdullahi’s second goal in as many matches during the tournament.
The first half concluded with a score of 1-1, with both teams still vying for a semi-final position. Nevertheless, Nigeria emerged stronger after the interval.
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Ezekiel Kpangu put the Flying Eagles ahead in the second half with a composed finish following excellent build-up play. As confidence surged, Nigeria began to take control of the match.
Imrana Mohammed extended the lead to 3-1 in the 86th minute after outmaneuvering the Beninese defense and slotting the ball into the net.
Shortly after, Mohammed turned into a provider, assisting Abdullahi Majdid, who netted Nigeria’s fourth goal with a powerful strike from outside the box that beat goalkeeper Majdid Mohammed.
Sporting Lagos defender Odinaka Okoro was awarded Man of the Match for his impressive performance at left-back. He received his accolade from Benin’s head of delegation, Innocent Atindehou, alongside WAFU B executive director, Philippe Tchere.
