Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have been booted out of the finals of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is ongoing in Egypt.
The Flying Eagles lost 0-1 to South Africa on Thursday in the second semi finals match played at the Suez Canal Stadium.
With the result, South Africa has now reached the U-20 AFCON final for the first time since 1997, when they finished second.
The South Africans will play Morocco in the final match on Sunday May 18, 2025 shortly after Nigeria and Egypt battle in third place match. Morocco had defeated Egypt 1-0 in the first semi finals match also played on Thursday.
On the other hand, this loss means Nigeria has now been knocked out in the semi-finals for a third tournament in a row, following similar exits in 2019 and 2023.
The South African victory also extinguished Nigeria’s hopes of winning an eighth title in the tournament’s history.
Despite the defeat, the Flying Eagles have already qualified for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup, thanks to reaching the semi-final stage of this competition.
