Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will take on the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Egypt 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, following the conclusion of Group C matches on Thursday.
Senegal, the defending champions, booked their spot after a crucial win over DR Congo, which saw them finish second in the group with four points from three games.
The title holders had a slow start to their campaign, drawing 1-1 with the Central African Republic in their opening match and suffering a 1-0 defeat to Ghana in their second. However, their victory over DR Congo secured their place in the last eight and set up a showdown with Nigeria.
They will be up against an unbeaten Nigerian side who ended the group stage with a 2-2 draw against the Rising Stars of Kenya. It was the first time they conceded goals at the ongoing competition.
They had earlier beaten Tunisia 1-0 and played a goalless draw against Morocco before the draw with Kenya. They ended second in Group B behind Morocco who finished the group stage with seven points from three games while the Flying Eagles came second with five points.
The game comes up on Monday by 1pm Nigerian time with the winner qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia.
In other fixture, Morocco will slug it out with Sierra Leone.
The group stage of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations wraps up today, with Tanzania set to face hosts Egypt, while South Africa clash with Zambia in what promises to be a Southern African showdown.
Meanwhile, Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu, remains optimistic as his team prepares for Monday’s quarter-final clash with Senegal, knowing a win would secure a coveted spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
“I believe the quarter-final is the most important match of the competition,” Zubairu said following the draw against Kenya. “We need to work on the players’ mindset and ensure they are fully focused on the task ahead.
“Our goal is to reach the World Cup, and to do that, we must win this match. Preparation starts now,” he added.
The top four teams at the U-20 AFCON will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup scheduled to take place in Chile.
