By Dayo Awoniyi
The Nigeria U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, will arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 2:00 PM (local time) on Tuesday, following their hard-fought third-place finish at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
The team, led by head coach Aliyu Zubairu, will fly in from Cairo on Egypt Airlines, bringing an end to their successful campaign in Egypt.
In a tense battle for third place, the Flying Eagles secured a 4-1 win in a penalty shootout against hosts Egypt after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Egypt took an early lead, but Nigeria responded in the second half, equalizing in the 47th minute. The Flying Eagles then triumphed in the shootout to clinch the bronze medal.
Nigeria’s achievement ensures their qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, alongside Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco.
South Africa made headlines by defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final, claiming their first-ever U-20 AFCON title.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
