By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are set to face Kenya’s Rising Stars in a crucial Group B encounter on Wednesday at the ongoing tournament in Cairo, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Nigeria time. The Flying Eagles need just a draw to guarantee progression to the knockout stage, while Kenya must win convincingly to keep their hopes alive.
A point for Nigeria would move them to five points, securing second place in the group regardless of the outcome between Morocco and Tunisia in the group’s other fixture.
The Flying Eagles hold a strong historical advantage over the Kenyans, having won all previous encounters. Their last meeting came in a 2014 FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifier, where Nigeria claimed a narrow 1-0 win in Nairobi.
With their dominant record and form in the competition so far, Nigeria will be aiming not just for qualification, but to stay in the race for the top spot in Group B as the final group stage matches approach.
The match promises to be a high-stakes affair, with the Flying Eagles eager to advance and make a deep run in the tournament.
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.
