In a tense Group B opener at Cairo’s 30 June Air Defence Stadium on Thursday, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria defeated Tunisia 1-0 to win their eighth U20 Africa Cup of Nations title.
The Flying Eagles ground out a result of a match filled with physical battles, near misses, and late drama after Auwal Ibrahim’s first-half strike sealed the two teams.
Despite Nigeria dominating the opening moments and securing numerous chances, they discovered a tenacious Tunisian side who was determined to hold their ground. However, Ibrahim made no mistakes from close range with Odinaka Okoro’s well-weighted assist and won the ball in the 38th minute to put Nigeria in front.
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Omar Ben Ali and Anis Doubal gave the North Africans a quick and effective response, but the defenseman and goalkeeper from Nigeria held firm. Tunisia had the best chance in the 87th minute, but Doubal’s strike was smothered in the center of the goal.
Although the second half was worse and more foul-filled, Nigeria’s energy in the middle was aided by Divine Oliseh and Clinton Jephta’s ability to control the game’s length. Six yellow cards were distributed equally between the teams during the game, a sign of how intense the game was getting.
Tunisia, who were semi-finalists in 2021 and 2023, put in a lot of pressure in the closing seconds thanks to a flurry of corners and long-range shots, but Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari’s defensive line did not succeed.
Tunisia is now under increased pressure ahead of their next game as a result, giving Nigeria three crucial points in a group that also includes Morocco and Kenya.
Nigeria has now made eight of their last ten tournament appearances an extension of their unbeaten run, making them the most decorated team in U-20 AFCON history with seven titles.
Source: Channels TV
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