U-20 AFCON: Nigeria edge Tunisia in group opener
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a flying note with a 1–0 victory over Tunisia in their opening Group B match on Thursday.
The tightly contested fixture took place at the 30,000-capacity 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
A decisive first-half strike from Auwal Ibrahim of Akwa Ibom FC proved the difference, as the Flying Eagles held firm against a determined Tunisian side.
Ibrahim found the net in the 38th minute, calmly finishing from close range after a precise assist from Odinaka Okoro.
Nigeria dominated the early exchanges and created multiple chances, but the Tunisian defence remained resolute.
Tunisia came close to equalising late in the game, with Omar Ali and Anis Doubal threatening the Nigerian goal.
Their best opportunity came in the 87th minute, but Doubal’s effort was comfortably saved.
Midfielders Divine Oliseh and Clinton Jephta played a pivotal role in maintaining Nigeria’s control for much of the match.
However, the second half was scrappier, with both sides committing frequent fouls.
Six yellow cards were issued evenly between the teams, underlining the physical and competitive nature of the contest.
Tunisia, semi-finalists in both the 2021 and 2023 editions, pushed forward in the closing stages with a series of corners and long-range efforts but were unable to breach the solid Nigerian defence, anchored by Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari.
The victory earned Nigeria three crucial points in Group B, featuring Morocco and Kenya.
The Flying Eagles, seven-time champions and the most successful team in U-20 AFCON history have now avoided defeat in eight of their last 10 tournament openers.
Nigeria will face Morocco in their next group match on Sunday at 7:00 p.m., while Tunisia will look to bounce back against Kenya on the same day.
The Flying Eagles will wrap up their group stage campaign against Kenya on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
The top four teams from the tournament will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for September 27 to October 19.
(NAN)
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