Nigeria’s U20 national team, the Flying Eagles, secured a hard-fought third-place finish at the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations with a thrilling 4–1 victory on penalties against host nation Egypt. The dramatic clash, held at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday, ended 1–1 in regulation time before Nigeria held their nerve from the spot to seal the win and match their record of five bronze medals in the tournament’s history.
Egypt seized control early in the encounter, with Osama Omar giving the home side a dream start just three minutes in. He capitalized on a low cross from Mahmoud Labib, which caused disarray in Nigeria’s box, and tucked in a close-range finish.
Although rattled in the opening stages, the Flying Eagles gradually found their rhythm and began to assert dominance. Clinton Jephta and Precious Benjamin both forced saves from Egypt’s goalkeeper, Abdel Monem Tamer, while Israel Ayuma narrowly missed from distance.
The breakthrough came early in the second half. In the 47th minute, Divine Oliseh dissected the Egyptian backline with a brilliant pass that Bidemi Amole latched onto before calmly placing the ball into the net to level the score at 1–1.
Frenetic Finish and Penalty Perfection
As the game approached its closing stages, both teams ramped up the pressure in search of a winner. Nigeria’s substitutes Tahir Maigana and Kparobo Arierhi injected fresh energy, creating problems for the Egyptian defense. Egypt responded with their own late surge, coming agonizingly close to a dramatic winner. Mohamed El Sayed rattled the crossbar, and Mohamed Haitham struck the post in the final moments of stoppage time.
With no extra time scheduled for the third-place match, the tie went straight to a penalty shootout.
Nigeria proved flawless from the spot, with Emmanuel Chukwu, Israel Ayuma, Kparobo Arierhi, and Tahir Maigana all converting confidently. Egypt, on the other hand, faltered under pressure. Mohamed Atef and Ahmed Kabaka saw their efforts saved by 15-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, whose composure and shot-stopping skills once again defied his age and lit up the tournament.
Flying Eagles Extend Podium Legacy
The victory handed Nigeria its fifth third-place finish at the U20 AFCON and marked their 14th overall medal in the competition’s history. It also reinforced Nigeria’s impressive record when facing host nations, having now defeated Egypt in back-to-back editions of the tournament.
The Flying Eagles’ triumph serves as a testament to their resilience, tactical discipline, and the emergence of promising talents like Harcourt, who has rapidly become one of the standout players of the tournament.
