Five observations from Flying Eagles disappointing loss to young Stallions in Africa U20 Cup of Nations qualifier

Nigeria kicked off its quest for the WAFU B U20 Cup of Nations on Friday evening with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Burkina Faso at the Stade Municipal in Togo.

Coulibaly Dramane netted the decisive goal for Burkina Faso in the second half, capitalizing on a failure by the Flying Eagles to clear the ball from inside the box.

As a result of the defeat, Nigeria now sits at the bottom of the group and faces the risk of missing out on a spot in the CAF U20 AFCON tournament.

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the game.

Zubairu opts for experienced players in starting lineup

Aliyu Zubairu, manager of the Flying Eagles, decided to field familiar faces in the lineup against Burkina Faso.

He implemented a 4-3-3 formation that featured several players with prior experience either at this level or with the Super Eagles.

Among those starting were Nathaniel Nwosu, Daniel Bameyi, and Kenneth Igboke

Flying Eagles falter in second half against Burkina Faso

Nigeria struggled in the second half against Burkina Faso, failing to maintain the momentum from a solid first-half performance.

In the opening half, Nigeria dominated possession but found it difficult to create significant scoring opportunities.

The team exhibited good movement and control in advancing the ball but fell short in making effective decisions in the final third.

Unfortunately, the Flying Eagles were unable to build on their decent first-half showing, allowing Burkina Faso to seize control of the match. As a result, Nigeria struggled to remain competitive until Burkina Faso scored.

Burkina Faso lack clinical finishing despite victory

Burkina Faso triumphed over Nigeria with a narrow 1-0 win at the Stade Municipal on Friday evening, but they could have increased their tally had they capitalized on their scoring opportunities.

The Burkinabe team created several chances in both the first and second halves, finally breaking the deadlock midway through the second half.

They put pressure on Flying Eagles goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu, who made several commendable saves.

However, Burkina Faso's finishing skills let them down, as they failed to convert more of their chances into goals.

Coulibaly Dramane shines in victory over Nigeria

Coulibaly Dramane was a standout performer for Burkina Faso in their match against Nigeria, delivering an impressive display and scoring the only goal of the game.

Dramane found the net after Nigeria failed to clear an aerial ball in their box. In addition to his goal, he was instrumental in defense, effectively limiting Nigeria's chances throughout the match.

Nigeria relies on long balls in desperate bid for equalizer

After conceding a goal, the Flying Eagles resorted to long balls in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer in the final stages of the match.

Initially, Nigeria employed a strategy focused on maintaining possession and exploring options to create scoring opportunities. However, following the concession, they shifted tactics as time began to run out.

Despite this change in approach, the Burkina Faso defenders remained resolute, successfully clearing every cross into the box and preventing Nigeria from registering any attempts on goal.

Adeyemi Adewale

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