Nigeria U-15 Squad Sets Sights on WAFU Zone B Title as Team Departs for Burkina Faso

Nigeria U-15 Squad Sets Sights on WAFU Zone B Title as Team Departs for Burkina Faso

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria’s U-15 boys’ national team has departed Abuja for Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ahead of the 2025 West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B African Schools Football Championship, scheduled for November 29 to December 4, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The squad coached by Seun Oyeniyi, concluded an intensive two-week training camp at the FIFA Goal Project, Package B, within the Moshood Abiola National Stadium before leaving Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Saturday morning. Team officials say confidence is high as the young players aim to secure the zonal title.

The draw for the WAFU-B Zonal Qualifiers, held Friday at the regional body’s headquarters in Abidjan, placed Nigeria in Group B alongside Côte d'Ivoire and Benin Republic in what is expected to be a tightly contested pool. Both Nigeria’s boys’ and girls’ teams learned their group-stage opponents during the event.

Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the African Schools Football Championship is a key component of the continent’s long-term grassroots development strategy. The initiative offers school-age players exposure to high-level competition and a pathway to further national and international opportunities.

This year marks the fourth edition of the championship, following previous tournaments hosted by Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Niger. The WAFU-B zone includes several West African football strongholds—Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Niger and hosts Burkina Faso each vying for qualification to the continental finals.

The tournament serves as the gateway to the main CAF African Schools Championship, where the best-performing teams from each region compete for continental honours. CAF considers the championship a cornerstone of its grassroots football agenda, aimed at identifying and nurturing Africa’s next generation of football talent.