Nigeria’s U-15 boys will attempt to reignite their CAF Schools Football Championship campaign when they take on Benin on today in Ouagadougou, with a semifinal spot still very much within reach despite an opening-day defeat to Ivory Coast.

The young Nigerians began their WAFU B zonal qualifiers on a difficult note, falling 4–1 to a sharp and energetic Ivorian side on Monday, a result that immediately raised the stakes ahead of their second and final group match.

The competition, hosted at the Stade du 4 Août, features boys’ teams from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria. Group A houses Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger, while Group B contains Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Benin.

Although both male and female categories are being staged this week, Nigeria is represented only in the boys’ event.

Coach Oluwaseun Oyeniyi’s squad, selected from five secondary schools across Kaduna, Enugu, Jalingo, Ogwashi-Ukwu and Ido-Ekiti, arrived in Ouagadougou on Saturday after travelling through Lagos and Abidjan.

The 19-man team includes pupils from Government Basic Education School, Government Junior Secondary School, Adaigbo Secondary School, National Grammar School and Ekiti Parapo College, and are based at Hotel Splendid for the duration of the group phase.

Nigeria’s campaign started on a challenging note on Monday as they struggled to cope with Ivory Coast’s pace and precision, eventually succumbing 4–1.

The defeat leaves today’s clash with Benin as a must-win for the boys in green, who need all three points to keep their hopes of a semifinal berth alive when the knockout stage begins on Wednesday.

The group phase wraps up today, after which the top two teams from each group will progress to the semifinals. The third-place match and final are scheduled for Thursday as the four-day tournament reaches its climax.

With the sting of their opening loss still fresh, Nigeria’s young stars will be eager to show renewed cohesion, purpose and fighting spirit against a Benin side equally intent on claiming a spot in the last four. A positive result would revive momentum and strengthen the country’s bid in a tournament created to spotlight grassroots football talent across West Africa.