Nigeria’s Flying Eagles kicked off their 2025 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Tunisia on Thursday in their Group B opener.
The match, held at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo, saw Auwal Ibrahim of Akwa Ibom FC score the only goal of the game in the 38th minute, finishing a well-placed pass from Odinaka Okoro.
Nigeria controlled the early proceedings, creating several chances, but the Tunisian defence stood firm. The North Africans grew into the game and came close to equalising late on, with Omar Ali and Anis Doubal testing the Flying Eagles’ backline. Doubal’s 87th-minute shot was saved comfortably, preserving Nigeria’s narrow lead.
Midfield duo Divine Oliseh and Clinton Jephta were instrumental in maintaining Nigeria’s grip on the game, despite a more physical and scrappy second half that saw six yellow cards shared evenly between the sides.
Tunisia, who reached the semi-finals in the 2021 and 2023 editions, pressed in the dying moments with a flurry of corners and long shots, but defenders Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari ensured Nigeria held on for all three points.
The win places Nigeria, the tournament’s most successful side with seven titles, in a strong position in Group B, which also includes Morocco and Kenya. The Flying Eagles have now avoided defeat in eight of their last ten U-20 AFCON openers.
Nigeria will next face Morocco on Sunday at 7:00 p.m., while Tunisia will aim to recover against Kenya. The Flying Eagles will conclude their group campaign against Kenya on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
The top four teams from this tournament will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for September 27 to October 19.
Leave a Reply