The Flying Eagles of Nigeria wrapped up their CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2025 campaign in style, securing third place with a thrilling 4-1 penalty shootout win over hosts Egypt at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
After a tightly contested 90 minutes that ended 1-1, both sides were forced into a penalty shootout, as no extra time is played in the third-place playoff. It was Nigeria who held their nerve, converting all four of their spot-kicks to seal their fifth bronze medal in the history of the tournament.
Egypt got off to a dream start, scoring just three minutes into the match. Osama Omar capitalized on a low cut-back from Mahmoud Labib and slotted home from close range to put the hosts ahead.
Nigeria responded with determination, and their breakthrough came shortly after the restart. A perfectly timed through ball from Divine Oliseh split the Egyptian defense and found Bidemi Amole, who calmly finished to level the match in the 47th minute.
The drama didn’t stop there. Egypt came agonizingly close to snatching a late winner in added time. Mohamed El Sayed’s effort cannoned off the crossbar, and Mohamed Haitham saw his strike hit the post in a tense final few minutes.
With the deadlock unbroken at the final whistle, the match went straight to penalties. Nigeria delivered a composed and clinical performance from the spot, with Emmanuel Chukwu, Ayuma, Arierhi, and Maigana all converting.
The spotlight, however, belonged to 15-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who made two crucial saves to deny Mohamed Atef and Ahmed Kabaka. His heroics ensured Nigeria finished the tournament on a high, while Egypt were left to rue missed chances.
It was a fitting end to a hard-fought campaign for the Flying Eagles, who showed grit, resilience, and promise as they continue to build towards future success on the continental stage.
