Nigeria claimed third place at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Egypt, prevailing 4-1 following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Trailing just three minutes into the match, the Flying Eagles recovered from an early setback to level the score and ultimately edge the hosts on penalties in Cairo.
Egypt made a dream start in front of their home supporters, finding the back of the net in the third minute.
The goal rocked Nigeria, who struggled to impose themselves in the early stages.
But Aliyu Zubair’s side gradually grew into the contest, making tactical adjustments before the interval that set the stage for a dominant second-half display.
Nigeria emerged after the break with renewed purpose, pressing high and taking control of the midfield.
Their persistence paid off in the 47th minute.
A poorly dealt-with clearance by the Egyptian defence fell kindly to Divine Oliseh, whose quick thinking teed up fellow substitute Bidemi Amole for the equaliser.
From that point on, the momentum swung in Nigeria’s favour.
The West Africans showed greater intensity in duels and dictated play across the pitch.
Despite both teams creating chances, a combination of poor finishing and misfortune denied further goals in normal time.
Egypt came closest to stealing a late winner in a frantic finale.
In a span of seconds, they struck the post, rattled the crossbar, and fired wide — a stunning sequence that left the crowd gasping and the scoreboard unchanged.
Sensing penalties were imminent, coach Zubair made a bold decision in the dying moments by introducing goalkeeper Rufai Abubakar.
The move proved decisive. Calm and composed under pressure, Abubakar saved two Egyptian penalties, swinging the shootout firmly in Nigeria’s favour.
With the Flying Eagles clinical from the spot, converting four of their five attempts, Nigeria secured a deserved 4-1 win in the shootout to claim the bronze medal.
The result caps off a strong tournament for Nigeria, who not only secured a podium finish but also confirmed their qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
For a team that began the tournament slowly, their resilience and tactical maturity in the latter stages have underlined their status as one of Africa’s premier youth sides.
