Flying Eagles Go for All Three Points against Tunisia’s Jnr Carthage Eagles
Olawale Ajimotokan
Flying Eagles will this evening launch their campaign for an eighth Africa U20 title when Nigeria file out against the Junior Carthage Eagles of Tunisia at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, in the opening match of Group B.
Flying Eagles Head Coach, Aliyu Zubairu, and his charges understand that they must take it one match at a time as they aspire for glory, with Cup holders Senegal (who head Group C), hosts Egypt (who head Group A) and four-time winners Ghana (in Group C) also in the hunt for honours.
Four-time champions Egypt (winners in 1981, 1991, 2003 and 2013) already pocketed three points from their opening match against South Africa on Sunday, while Zambia and Sierra Leone fought themselves to a scoreless draw.
Ghana have their work cut out in Group C, where they must negotiate survival with title-holders Senegal, a Central African Republic side that eliminated Cameroon, and the nifty Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nigeria must beware of the host nation, even though the Flying Eagles pipped the Egyptians 1-0 in a group phase match in Cairo two years ago.
The only Final matches Nigeria have lost since the competition transformed from home-and-away format to a tournament were against host nations – against Ghana in Accra in 1999 and against Congo in Brazzaville eight years later.
On the reverse, Nigeria defeated hosts Senegal in the Final in 2015.
Ghana were champions in 1993, 1999 (as hosts), 2009 (when they won in Rwanda) and 2021. Cameroon, who are not in Egypt, won their only title when Nigeria hosted the competition in 1995.
After Thursday’s shootout with the Junior Carthage Eagles, the seven-time champions will be up against 1997 hosts and winners Morocco, also at the 30 June Stadium.
Zubairu is excited that his boys are riding on immense psychological wavelengths after a 2-1 defeat of host nation Egypt in a friendly match at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday – barely 48 hours after the delegation landed in Cairo.
Tunisia did not originally qualify for the Under-20 AFCONfinals, but sneaked through after original hosts Cote d’Ivoire pulled the rug on the Confederation of African Football with only weeks to the opening match.
All four semi-finalists at the tournament will qualify to fly Africa’s flag at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Chile, from 27th September to 19th October.
