Nigeria’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, will kick off their campaign for a record eighth continental title when they take on Senegal in their opening match at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday.

The team, led by head coach Ladan Bosso, qualified for the tournament after emerging champions at the WAFU B U-20 regional tournament held in Niger in May 2022. The team put up an impressive performance to defeat Ghana 2-0, Ivory Coast 2-1 in the semi-final, and Benin Republic 3-1 in the final to be crowned WAFU B regional champions.

The Flying Eagles missed out on the previous edition of the tournament in Mauritania, but Bosso’s team is determined to make up for the loss this time around. Speaking ahead of the team’s opening match, Bosso expressed confidence in his boys’ readiness to maintain their winning streak.

“We have been able to sustain the same mood we had in camp before going for the WAFU B U20 Championship in Niamey, which we won. Since then, we have played a series of matches and scored plenty of goals, and that is immense for a winning mentality to stay within a team,” Bosso said.

“However, we are not going to underestimate any of our opponents. Defeating Zambia in Abuja was good for confidence, but we know the championship mood would be tougher. We will be ready to do the country proud,” he added.

The U-20 AFCON is the biennial international youth football championship organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This year’s tournament features eight teams, divided into two groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Nigeria is placed in Group A alongside Senegal, Tanzania, and Morocco. The Flying Eagles will face Tanzania in their second group match on Wednesday, February 22, before playing their final group game against Morocco on Saturday, February 25.