By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo
Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, secured a 2-1 victory against Egypt in a friendly match in Cairo on Tuesday, boosting their preparations for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The tournament, hosted by Egypt, is set to run from 27 April to 18 May.
Nigeria, seven-time champions, opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Kparobo Arierhi calmly finished a precise pass from Bidemi Amole.
Egypt levelled the score in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but Nigeria restored their lead in the 83rd minute after Precious Benjamin converted a penalty, awarded following a foul on Divine Oliseh in the box.
The win provides a significant morale boost for Nigeria, who arrived in Egypt on Sunday for the 17th edition of the U-20 AFCON. Drawn in Group B, the Flying Eagles will face Tunisia in their opening match on Thursday, followed by fixtures against Morocco and Kenya.
The top four teams from the tournament will earn qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for 27 September to 19 October.
