The Flying Eagles of Nigeria sealed third place at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2025 with a thrilling 4-1 victory on penalties against tournament hosts Egypt on Sunday evening.
The bronze medal match, held at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, ended 1-1 in regulation time before Nigeria held their nerve in the shootout to claim their fifth third-place finish in the competition’s history.
It was a fiercely contested encounter as both teams looked to end their campaigns on a high after semifinal exits. Egypt drew first blood just three minutes into the match when Osama Omar capitalised on a cut-back from Mahmoud Labib to fire past the Nigerian keeper.
The early goal sparked a strong response from Nigeria, who gradually gained control of the game. Clinton Jephta and Precious Benjamin came close to equalising, while Israel Ayuma tested the Egyptian defence with powerful efforts from range.
Nigeria’s breakthrough came early in the second half when Divine Oliseh split Egypt’s defence with a superb through ball. Bidemi Amole latched on and calmly slotted home the equaliser in the 47th minute.
Buoyed by the goal, the Flying Eagles introduced fresh legs in Tahir Maigana and Kparobo Arierhi, who helped push for a winner. Egypt nearly stole it in stoppage time, with Mohamed El Sayed and Mohamed Haitham striking the woodwork in a dramatic finale.
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With the deadlock unbroken after 90 minutes, the match was decided by penalties — and Nigeria made no mistake. Emmanuel Chukwu, Ayuma, Arierhi, and Maigana all converted their spot-kicks with composure.
The star of the shootout was 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who saved efforts from Mohamed Atef and Ahmed Kabaka to secure a famous win.
Sunday’s result gave Nigeria their 14th overall podium finish at the U-20 AFCON and marked the second consecutive time the Flying Eagles have defeated Egypt on home soil in the competition.
The win also served as a testament to the team’s resilience, determination, and growing promise under head coach Ladan Bosso, with attention now turning to future international youth competitions.