The Flying Eagles of Nigeria clinched third place at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 after defeating Egypt in a tense penalty shootout on Sunday. The match, which took place at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, ended 1-1 after regulation time, leading directly to penalties where Nigeria emerged victorious 4-1.
Both teams came into the third-place playoff determined to finish the tournament positively after missing out on the final. Egypt quickly took the lead, scoring in the third minute through Osama Omar, who finished from close range following a pass from Mahmoud Labib. This early goal gave the hosts confidence and set the tone for an intense match.
Nigeria, however, remained patient and began to control the game by dominating possession and creating chances. Clinton Jephta and Precious Benjamin tested Egypt’s goalkeeper Abdel Monem Tamer with shots that forced good saves, while Israel Ayuma’s long-range efforts just missed the target. Their persistence paid off shortly after halftime when Divine Oliseh played a precise through ball that split the Egyptian defense, allowing Bidemi Amole to score the equalizer in the 47th minute.
As the match progressed, Nigeria pushed hard for the winning goal, bringing on fresh legs with the introduction of Tahir Maigana and Kparobo Arierhi. Egypt, meanwhile, almost clinched victory late in the game when Mohamed El Sayed struck the crossbar and Mohamed Haitham hit the post in quick succession, adding drama to the closing moments.
Since no extra time was played, the match went straight to penalties. Nigeria showed remarkable calm, converting all four of their shots through Emmanuel Chukwu, Israel Ayuma, Kparobo Arierhi, and Tahir Maigana. Egypt struggled under pressure, with both Mohamed Atef and Ahmed Kabaka having their shots saved by Nigeria’s young goalkeeper, 15-year-old Ebenezer Harcourt, whose outstanding performance was crucial to Nigeria’s success.
This win marks Nigeria’s fifth bronze medal at the U-20 AFCON and their 14th podium finish overall in the tournament’s history. It also continues their strong record of beating host nations in this competition, with this victory being the second time Nigeria has defeated Egypt on home soil at the U-20 AFCON.
