Nigeria’s quest for an 8th U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title came to a heartbreaking end yesterday as the Flying Eagles fell 0-1 to South Africa in a closely fought semi-final clash at the Suez Canal Stadium in Egypt.
Despite dominating large periods of the game—particularly in the second half—Nigeria were undone by a 66th-minute header from South Africa’s Tylon Smith, who capitalized on a well-delivered corner from Neo Rapoo to net the game’s only goal.
The Flying Eagles had started the match with purpose, controlling possession and creating promising opportunities. Tahir Maigana’s early effort tested the South African keeper, while the likes of Emmanuel Chukwu and Israel Ayuma constantly pressed forward in search of the opener.
Despite dominating much of the contest and creating several chances, Nigeria were undone by a second-half goal stemming from a costly error by substitute goalkeeper Yakub, who replaced the injured Ebenezer Harcourt.
Following the setback, Nigeria responded with urgency with Coach Zubairu making a double substitution in Rickson Mendos and Bidemi Amole aimed at ramping up the attack. The tactical shift nearly paid off, as the Flying Eagles launched wave after wave of pressure in the final 20 minutes.
Ayuma came closest to restoring parity, with a diving header that looked destined for the net—only for South African goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe to pull off a stunning save. Lowe proved to be the difference in the dying minutes, denying Nigeria with multiple close-range stops.
The result extends Nigeria’s frustrating run in recent editions of the U-20 AFCON, marking a third straight semi-final exit after losses to Gambia (2023) and Mali (2019).
While the Flying Eagles can take pride in their spirited performance and qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the defeat will sting for a team that showed promise and attacking flair throughout the tournament.
South Africa, unbeaten since their opening game, will now aim to secure their first U-20 AFCON title.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will play for bronze in the third-place match against hosts Egypt who lost the second semi-final 0-1 to Morocco.
DAILY TRUST.
