Nigeria’s Flying Eagles marked their 100th match in the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Kenya in Cairo on Wednesday to finish second in Group B and earn a spot in the quarter-finals.
Despite twice trailing in the contest, the seven-time champions were resilient to grab the vital point needed to advance.
The encounter began in dramatic fashion, as Kenya stunned Nigeria in the sixth minute when Kévin Injehu calmly converted from the penalty spot after Emmanuel Chukwu was penalised for a handball. The early goal momentarily unsettled the Flying Eagles, but they regained their rhythm and responded swiftly. In the 13th minute, Kparobo Arierhi restored parity with a clinical finish from close range after receiving a through ball from Simon Cletus.
The first half remained finely balanced, with both teams fashioning chances. Aldrine Kibet was twice denied by Nigeria goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu, while Ezekiel Kpangu saw his effort saved at the other end in added time.
Following the interval, both sides made tactical changes in a bid to seize the initiative. Kenya went ahead again in the 68th minute, this time through substitute William Gitama, who rifled home from close range after Humphrey Obina whipped in a teasing delivery. But Nigeria responded almost immediately when Rickson Mendos was fouled in the box four minutes after, and captain Daniel Bameyi stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty, making it 2-2.
The closing stages saw relentless pressure from Nigeria, who dominated possession and registered multiple attempts, but they were denied by a combination of poor finishing and Kenyan goalkeeper Andres Omondi’s heroics. Divine Oliseh, Tahir Maigana, and Mendos all had late efforts that failed to find the net.
The draw was enough to see Nigeria finish second in Group B with five points, behind Morocco who defeated Tunisia 3-1 in the group’s other fixture to top the table with seven points. The Flying Eagles, who opened their campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Tunisia and played out a goalless draw against Morocco, remained unbeaten in the group stage, the eighth time they have achieved this feat.
This result extends Nigeria’s strong tradition of advancing beyond the group stage, a feat they have now accomplished in ten of their last twelve appearances. However, the team’s scoring issues remain evident, with only three goals scored in as many matches, finishing as the lowest-scoring side in the group.
