Former Nigeria defender Ifeanyi Udeze has expressed confidence that the Flying Eagles can eliminate hosts Côte d'Ivoire in the semifinal of the WAFU B U-20 Championship.

Speaking on BRILA FM, Udeze was clear in his backing: "They are equal to the task — I believe in them," he said. "I've watched the current Flying Eagles and they are not a bad team, and we saw them beat Ghana 4-2, which alone impressed me."

The Flying Eagles reached the knockout stage on the strength of convincing victories over Ghana (4-2) and Togo (3-0) in the group phase. However, a 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in their final Group B fixture meant Nigeria finished as runners-up in the section.

Defensive concerns to address

While Udeze praised the team's attacking quality, he flagged a persistent vulnerability at the back. "One thing I have observed about the team is that they concede a lot, which they must work on," he said.

Côte d'Ivoire, competing as the host nation, present a stiff challenge for the Flying Eagles as the tournament moves into its decisive rounds.