Nigeria’s Flying Eagles secured a 2-0 victory against Ivory Coast’s Young Elephants in a pre-Africa Cup of Nations friendly match played at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Wednesday evening.
Captain Daniel Bameyi and Foster Academy striker Divine Oliseh scored the goals in the second half after a goalless opening 45 minutes.
Bameyi put Nigeria ahead from the penalty spot, confidently placing his shot into the bottom right corner.
Ivory Coast pushed for an equalizer in front of their home fans but were dealt another blow when Oliseh doubled Nigeria’s lead with eight minutes remaining, sealing the win.
The victory serves as a major boost for the Flying Eagles, who are preparing for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.
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The second friendly match is scheduled for Friday at 3:30 PM Ivorian time (4:30 pm Nigeria time) at the same venue.
Nigeria qualified for the U20 Afcon tournament after winning the WAFU Zone B championship in Togo in 2024, defeating Ghana 2-1 in the final.
The Flying Eagles have been drawn into a challenging group alongside Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu will be pleased with the team’s performance and hopes they maintain their momentum to secure a spot in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
