The stakes will be sky-high on Sunday, July 13, when Nigeria take on Benin in a crucial Group A fixture of the 2025 WAFU Zone B U20 Boys Championship.
The match, scheduled for 15:00 GMT at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, could decide the fate of both teams in the tournament.
This will be Nigeria’s second and final group game after playing out a 1-1 draw with hosts Ghana in their opener. A defeat against Benin will end the Flying Eagles’ hopes of progressing to the semi-finals. For Benin, however, a win will guarantee qualification and send them through alongside Ghana, who are on standby for the day’s action.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Nigeria head coach Aliyu Zubair admitted that adjustments would be made to both personnel and tactics in preparation for the tie.
“We’ll tweak our selection and system to handle Benin even though we haven’t seen much of them,” Zubair said, highlighting the challenge of preparing against relatively unknown opposition.
Benin coach Raymond Tchaye, on the other hand, believes his side goes into the game with a strategic edge, having had the opportunity to study Nigeria’s performance against Ghana. “We’ve seen them play, but they haven’t seen us. That gives us a slight advantage,” Tchaye confidently stated.
The outcome of Sunday’s game carries significant weight. A draw between Ghana and Benin in the final group game would be enough to eliminate Nigeria, should they fail to beat the Young Squirrels. With so much on the line, fans can expect a fiercely contested encounter.
Sunday’s fixture is a make-or-break moment for both nations. For Nigeria, it’s win or go home. For Benin, it’s a chance to announce themselves and advance — possibly at the expense of one of the region’s giants.
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