The Flying Eagles of Nigeria began their pursuit of an eighth U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their Group B opener at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Thursday.
A first-half goal by Auwal Ibrahim proved to be the difference in a match that was marred by physical battles, near misses, and late drama. Ibrahim’s strike in the 38th minute came from a perfectly-weighted assist by Odinaka Okoro, putting Nigeria in front just before halftime.
Despite dominating early proceedings and creating several chances, Nigeria faced a resilient Tunisian side that refused to break.
The North Africans responded with urgency, looking to equalize, but Nigeria’s defense, led by Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari, stood firm.
Tunisia had their best chance in the 87th minute when Anis Doubal fired a shot from close range, but Nigerian goalkeeper and defenders were quick to smother the effort.
The final minutes were marked by a flurry of corners and long-range shots from Tunisia, but none found the back of the net.
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The match was a physical affair, with both teams sharing six yellow cards, reflecting the growing intensity as the game wore on.
Nigeria’s midfield duo of Divine Oliseh and Clinton Jephta helped to control large portions of the game, despite a scrappy second half.
The result gives Nigeria three crucial points in a tough Group B, which also includes Morocco and Kenya.
Nigeria’s win extends their unbeaten run in tournament openers to eight of their last ten U-20 AFCON appearances.
The Flying Eagles, the most successful team in U-20 AFCON history with seven titles, are now one step closer to adding another to their collection.