Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will begin their quest for a record eighth Africa U-20 title on Thursday when they face Tunisia’s Junior Carthage Eagles in the opening match of Group B at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
The two teams have a historic rivalry, with Nigeria having defeated Tunisia 2-1 at the National Stadium in Surulere during their previous encounter in the 1985 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. Two years ago, the Flying Eagles also triumphed over Tunisia 4-0 in the third-place match at the same tournament.
Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, stated that his team understands the importance of taking it one match at a time as they aim for the title. He noted that the competition will be tough with other strong teams like Senegal, Ghana, and Egypt also vying for the crown. Zubairu emphasised that, despite the challenges, his team is focused on getting a positive result against Tunisia to kick-start their campaign.
The Flying Eagles are coming off a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over host nation Egypt in a friendly match at the Cairo International Stadium, just days before the tournament. Zubairu remarked that the win provided the team with vital confidence heading into their opener against Tunisia.
“That result has provided a good impetus for us as we prepare to face the Tunisians—another North African opposition,” Zubairu said. “It does not mean that we will rest on our oars; it only serves to give us much-needed confidence.”
Nigeria’s forward Kparobo Arierhi, who scored three goals at the WAFU B U20 Championship and netted against Egypt in the friendly, will be one of the key players Zubairu is counting on, alongside other forwards like Germany-based Precious Benjamin and local players Clinton Jephta and Divine Oliseh.
Although Tunisia initially did not qualify for the tournament, they gained entry after the original host, Côte d’Ivoire, pulled out. Zubairu expressed the team’s readiness to face the challenge, saying they would focus on securing maximum points in the opening match.
The Flying Eagles’ performance in this competition is critical as the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year. The competition will also feature other teams such as Morocco, Kenya, Senegal, and Ghana, with each group having its own set of challenges.
In other news, the Nigeria National League has expelled Lagos-based 1472 FC from the 2024/2025 season after the team failed to honour three matches. The club was also fined N5 million, and all of their played matches have been nullified.
