Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will take on their Ivorien counterparts in a behind-closed-doors international friendly as part of their preparations for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
The match, scheduled for Wednesday, will be played at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium, with kickoff set for 16:00 local time.
Organizers have also confirmed that the two sides will play a second friendly at the same venue.
Host nation Ivory Coast has been drawn into Group A for the AFCON tournament, while Nigeria will compete in Group B.
Aliyu Zubairu’s squad, have been training in Abuja for weeks, departed for Abidjan on Monday.
The team had originally planned to face Egypt’s U20 side, but those games were canceled after both teams were placed in the same AFCON group alongside Morocco and South Africa.
Both Nigeria and Ivory Coast had meet in the WAFU B U20 Championship last October, the former clinching a 2-1 win that set them on course to defending their regional title.
This meeting continues a long-standing rivalry between the two nations at youth level.
One of their most notable clashes came in 1983, when Nigeria edged Côte d’Ivoire 4-3 on aggregate in the Tessema Cup final—the former U20 continental championship—thanks to Dahiru Sadi’s long-range strike in Lagos.
The upcoming friendlies will provide a crucial test for Nigeria, allowing head coach Zubairu to assess his squad ahead of the tournament.
With competitive action approaching, the Flying Eagles will be aiming to fine-tune their tactics and build momentum.
With the U20 AFCON set to run from April 26 to May 18, Nigeria will be aiming for a strong tournament, knowing that a semi-final finish will secure qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile (September 27 – October 19, 2025).
