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Flying Eagles edge Egypt to retain U-20 AFCON bronze medal
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
In a historic achievement, Nigeria secured third place for the fourth time in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), triumphing in a penalty shootout against Egypt at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday night.
This victory followed their earlier success against reigning champions Senegal in the quarter-finals, which also granted them a spot in this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Chile.
The match against Egypt was fiercely contested, with both teams scoring during regulation time.
The Young Pharaohs took an early lead through Osama Hassan, who capitalized on a well-placed long ball, but Nigeria responded with determination.
They equalized shortly after halftime, thanks to a quick play involving Adamu Maigari and substitute Divine Oliseh, culminating in a goal from Bidemi Amole.
Despite several opportunities to secure a win, Nigeria faced a resilient Egyptian goalkeeper, Ahmed Waheb.
In a tense finish, Nigeria narrowly avoided defeat in added time when a chaotic sequence in the box nearly resulted in a goal for Egypt.
Ultimately, during the penalty shootout, Nigeria’s players demonstrated composure and skill, converting all their attempts, while Egypt faltered, allowing Nigeria to claim the bronze medal, adding to their previous third-place finishes in 1995, 2009, and 2013.
