Ivory Coast and Niger shared the spoils following a pulsating 1-1 draw in their opening Group B encounter at the 2026 WAFU B U17 Championship on Sunday evening.
Niger took the lead in the 17th minute after Ibrahim Aboubacar capitalised on a defensive error by the Ivorians to put his side ahead.
The early goal gave Niger a boost as they sought to make a winning start to their campaign, but Ivory Coast responded strongly and continued to push for an equaliser.
Their efforts paid off in the 54th minute when KOMI Christ Adzogblé produced a brilliant finish to restore parity for Ivory Coast, setting up an engaging contest in the second half.
Both sides were unable to find a decisive goal thereafter, with the encounter ending in a 1-1 stalemate. The result leaves the two teams with a point each as they begin their quest for a place in the next stage of the competition.
Nigeria, the third team in Group B, were on standby as the group features only three participating countries.
The tournament will take a break on Monday before resuming on Tuesday with matches from Group A, as the participating nations continue their pursuit of qualification for the next stage of the competition.
WAFU B COMMUNICATIONS