The Flying Eagles of Nigeria suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to rivals South Africa on Wednesday afternoon, as they failed to book their ticket to the final of the U-20 African Cup of Nations.
The Nigeria U-20 team’s hopes of winning an eighth title were dashed as they were narrowly edged at the Suez Canal stadium in Egypt, despite dominating the encounter.
As it happened
Both sides booked their spots in the U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year, with Nigeria defeating Senegal while South Africa eliminated Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Flying Eagles dominated the first half and created several chances but were unable to turn their dominance to a goal as the first 45 minutes ended goalless.
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Nigeria goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, whose heroics helped the team triumph over Senegal in the quarterfinals was substituted early in the second half, with Yakub Ajia coming on to replace him.
It would prove to be the youngsters undoing as Yakub failed to claim a cross in the 66th minute, enabling Smith Tylon to nod into an empty net to give the Amajita the lead.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu turned to his substitute bench for a response, although South Africa goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe was equal to the task in the opposing goal.
Smith’s goal was enough to settle the keenly-contested match as South Africa advance to the final while Nigeria head to the third-place playoffs match.
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South Africa advance to the final
The Amajita will make a first final appearance in 28 years where they will play the winners of Morocco and Egypt in the other semifinals.
South Africa will also hope to win a maiden continental title at the U-20 level, with their best finish being a second-placed finish at the 1997 edition in Morocco.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
