Nigeria delivered a ruthless attacking performance to overpower Benin Republic 4-1 in their second Group A match at the WAFU B U20 Boys Championship in Prampram, Ghana.

Facing elimination after a 1-1 draw against Ghana in their opener, Aliyu Zubairu’s Flying Eagles needed a response – and they delivered emphatically.

There were four different goalscorers for Nigeria as Mohammed Abdullahi, Anthony Kpangu, Imrana Muhammad and Abduljelil Mustapha all found the net for the Flying Eagles.

Despite falling behind to a superb free-kick from Benin’s Junior Olugbade midway through the first half, Nigeria roared back with four unanswered goals.

La Planet FC’s Mohammed Abdullahi, who scored a late equaliser against Ghana on his U20 debut, continued his hot streak by levelling matters in the 40th minute. A goalmouth scramble fell kindly to Divine Oliseh, whose clever touch set up Abdullahi to fire low past the Benin goalkeeper.

That goal gave Nigeria the momentum heading into the break, and they wasted no time after the restart.

Just two minutes into the second half, Anthony Kpangu latched onto a flowing team move and coolly slotted home, giving Nigeria the lead for the first time in the tournament.

Benin tried to rally, but Nigeria’s pace and precision proved too much.

Three minutes from time, Imrana Muhammad completed a lightning-fast counterattack to make it 3-1.

The rout was completed in stoppage time when Abduljelil Mustapha’s deflected strike wrong-footed the goalkeeper and flew into the net.

The result puts Nigeria temporarily top of Group A with four points, ahead of Ghana and Benin who have one apiece. The former African champions are through to the final four stage of the regional competition.

The Flying Eagles will seal a semi-final place as group winners unless Ghana defeat Benin by at least four clear goals in their final match on Wednesday.

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The Super Eagles won the gold medal in Men’s Football at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but the success of that tournament has soared beyond football, according to Soccernet.ng.

The three-time AFCON Champions had a prolific squad in that competition, to which some argue is the greatest ever team produced by the Nation.

Stars like Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, Sunday Oliseh, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Celestine Babayaro were part of the team at the time.

While the jersey signifies success for many Nigerians, the custom replica produced by Nike has also been making waves in the fashion world.

Hollywood movie star, Timothée Chalamet, was recently spotted with his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, at the Shellona Beach in Saint-Tropez, France.

The 29-year-old donned the retro green and white kit, alongside a bandana that carried these same colours.

Away from Mr Chamalet, other popular figures have also been seen in the retro 1996 Super Eagles kit.

One of those is Fast and Furious actor, Idris Elba. The versatile Brit also doubles as a musician and an event host. He was the host of the 2017 FIFA Best Awards that saw superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Marcelo, and Neymar pick up awards.

The Arsenal fan was seen wearing the Super Eagles retro kit two years ago at Wimbledon’s star-studded Men’s Final.

Famous Twitch streamer, Kai Cenat, also donned the Nigerian retro kit. This time, in Lagos. The American visited Nigeria to collaborate with creatives, and ended up contributing financially to the growth in education children in the slum area of Makoko.

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially opened an investigation into the Algerian Women’s National Team over alleged breaches of CAF Statutes and Regulations during the ongoing 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

In a brief statement released on Thursday, CAF confirmed that the probe was initiated following reported violations linked to Algeria’s conduct at the tournament.

While the specific nature of the alleged offences was not disclosed, it comes amid growing scrutiny surrounding Algeria’s actions off the pitch, including political tensions affecting the competition’s atmosphere.

“CAF has opened an investigation against the Algerian Women’s National Team on alleged violations of the CAF Statutes and Regulations during the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024,” the statement read.

CAF added that it would not provide further comment until the investigation process is complete.

The development emerges just days before Algeria face Nigeria’s Super Falcons in a crucial final group-stage match.

Algeria during an International Friendly match between the Nigeria Super Falcons and the Algeria Green Ladies
Algeria during an International Friendly match between the Nigeria Super Falcons and the Algeria Green Ladies CAF’s decision to step in appears to be a response to growing concerns over how such actions might undermine the integrity and unity of African football competitions.

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