A first-half goal from Auwal Ibrahim, set up by a precise pass from Odinaka Okoro, was enough to secure a 1-0 win for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles over Tunisia at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Thursday.
Displaying poise and control, the Flying Eagles outplayed the combative Carthage Eagles in the first half, with Ibrahim’s strike reflecting Nigeria’s early dominance.
Nigeria nearly doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Mendos Richson appeared to be fouled in the box, but a VAR review overturned the penalty decision.
Late in the game, goalkeeper Ifeanyi Harcourt preserved the win with a crucial save, stopping Tunisian forward Ben Ali from close range. The match ended 1-0, setting Nigeria up for a crucial showdown against Morocco’s Lion Cubs at the same venue on Sunday evening.
The win marks Nigeria’s fourth triumph in six U20 encounters with Tunisia, a rivalry dating back to 1981, when Nigeria won 4-0 in a World Youth Championship qualifier in Lagos. Despite a 4-1 loss in the return leg in Tunis, Nigeria advanced to the next round.
In 1985, the sides drew 1-1 in Tunis in the African U20 final, with Nigeria clinching the title after a 2-1 victory in Lagos. Most recently, in 2023, Nigeria thrashed Tunisia 4-0 in the Africa U20 Cup of Nations third-place match, also held in Egypt.
