The Nigeria’s U-20 Flying Eagles qualified for the semifinals
of the Africa Cup of Nations U-20 tournament, as well as the FIFA U-20 World
Cup after a dramatic penalty shots victory over Senegal at Ismailia Stadium in
Egypt on Monday, 12 May 2025.
Nigeria held their nerve to secure a place in the semi-finals
of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, defeating
defending champions Senegal 3-1 on penalties after a goalless draw in
regulation and extra time at the Suez Canal Stadium on Monday.
As the match wore on, fatigue set in but the determination
from both camps never wavered. Nigeria’s tactical substitutions, including the
introduction of Precious Benjamin and Rickson Mendos, added attacking impetus
late on, while Senegal reshuffled to find a breakthrough with the likes of
Seydi Diouck and Mame Mor Faye.
The West African giants renewed their fierce rivalry in a
tense quarter-final that saw both sides create scoring chances, but ultimately
fail to break the deadlock in 120 minutes of action.
Nigeria, unbeaten in the group stages, maintained their
composure in the shootout with spot kicks expertly converted by Precious
Benjamin, Emmanuel Chukwu and Israel Ayuma.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who had gone largely
untested in the shootout, emerged as a quiet hero. His save against Mame Mor
Faye’s spot kick proved pivotal in tilting the balance.
The result marks Nigeria’s eighth successive quarter-final
win at the U20 AFCON under the current format. They now advance to the
semi-finals, where they will look to maintain their record of never losing a
quarter-final tie in this competition.
With this result, Nigeria move one step closer to a
record-extending eighth U20 AFCON title, while Senegal will now reflect on what
could have been after a hard-fought campaign. The result not only sends Nigeria
into the semifinals of the U-20 AFCON but also confirms their place in the
upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.
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