Accra, Ghana
– The Young Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire were crowned champions of the 2025
WAFU B U20 Boys Tournament after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Nigeria’s
Flying Eagles in Wednesday’s final at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Ivorians completed a flawless campaign, winning all
five of their matches and showcasing dominance, discipline, and tactical
intelligence throughout the tournament. Their journey to the title included a
2-1 opening win over Burkina Faso, followed by 1-0 and 2-0 victories over Niger
Republic and Togo, respectively, in the group phase.
In the semi-final, the Young Elephants came from
behind to defeat host nation Ghana 2-1, setting up a blockbuster clash with
perennial rivals Nigeria.
Wednesday’s final lived up to expectations, with both
teams battling intensely for continental bragging rights. Seven-time African
champions Nigeria were resolute in defence and looked poised to force extra
time. But the breakthrough came in the dying moments of the match.
In added time, Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer
Harcourt failed to properly deal with a routine free-kick, spilling the
ball in the box. Ivorian forward Zakaria Tindano reacted quickest,
slotting home what proved to be the match-winner and sealing victory for Côte
d’Ivoire.
The win capped off a perfect tournament for the
Ivorians, who not only lifted the trophy but did so without dropping a single
point.
Comments:
Leave a Reply