Nigeria's Flamingos Set for Grudge Match Against Ghana in WAFU B U-17 Opener

 Nigeria's Flamingos will kick off their 2026 WAFU B U-17 Girls Championship on Wednesday, September 16, with a Group B showdown against old rivals Ghana's Black Maidens at the CKB Stadium in Côte d'Ivoire.

The game is more than just an opener. It's a rematch of the 2024 final, where Ghana beat Nigeria on penalties after the two sides couldn't be separated in normal time, finishing 2-2. That result gave Ghana the first-ever title in the competition's history.

This time around, Nigeria will be out to settle the score. The Flamingos land in a tricky group alongside Ghana, Togo, and Niger Republic, with only a top finish good enough to send them through to the next stage.

Host nation Côte d'Ivoire won't have it easy either. They've been placed in Group A with Burkina Faso and Benin Republic to contend with.

The tournament proper gets underway a day earlier, on Tuesday, September 15, and it carries extra weight this time. Beyond the trophy on offer, the championship doubles as a qualifier for the 2027 U-17 Girls Africa Cup of Nations.

For Nigeria's junior girls, the timing couldn't be better. The competition gives head coach and squad a real chance to sharpen up before the bigger test ahead: the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, which runs from October 17 to November 7, 2026.