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With confidence, grit, and goals to match, Nigeria’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, made an early statement of intent ahead of the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations as they defeated host nation, Egypt 2-1 in a pulsating friendly match at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.
The Flying Eagles fresh off their arrival in Cairo less than 48 hours earlier wasted no time settling in. The team, led by Head Coach, Aliyu Zubairu, landed in the Egyptian capital aboard an Egypt Air flight on Sunday evening with a delegation of 24 players and nine officials. Lodged at the Jewel Sports City and Aqua Resort, the boys had barely unpacked before hitting the ground running in their first training session on Monday.
And on Tuesday, they delivered as it took just ten minutes for Nigeria to find the breakthrough, courtesy of in-form forward Kparobo Arierhi. The striker who made headlines with his goal-scoring exploits at the WAFU B U20 Championship in Lome last October, picked up from where he left off. Latching onto a brilliant pass from midfielder, Bidemi Amole, Arierhi made no mistake, coolly slotting home to put Nigeria ahead.
Although Egypt responded with a well-taken equaliser in the 65th minute from Ahmed Kaabaka, it was Nigeria who would have the final say. With just seven minutes to go, a clumsy challenge on Divine Oliseh inside the box gave the Flying Eagles a penalty. Precious Benjamin stepped up to convert from the spot and seal the win.
The match served as the perfect tune-up for the Flying Eagles, who are chasing an eighth continental crown. With the Africa U20 Cup of Nations set to kick off on Sunday, Nigeria are in a competitive Group B alongside Tunisia, Morocco, and Kenya. Their opening fixture is scheduled for Thursday, 1 May, against Tunisia at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
Hosts Egypt, meanwhile, lead Group A and will begin their campaign against South Africa on Sunday 27 April. They will then face Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Tanzania in what promises to be a tightly contested group stage.
Beyond continental glory, the stakes are high. The Africa U20 Cup of Nations doubles as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA U20 World Cup, set to take place in Chile from 27 September to 19 October. The top four teams, semi-finalists in this tournament will book their tickets to represent Africa on the global stage.
For Coach Zubairu and his players, the mission is clear: go far in Egypt and return home with not only a trophy but also book a ticket to Chile. With their spirited performance against the Young Pharaohs, the Flying Eagles have sent a clear message to the rest of the continent that they mean business.
