Nigeria’s Flying Eagles kicked off their 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Tunisia on Thursday at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
The decisive moment came in the first half when Auwal Ibrahim finished off a well-timed through-ball from Odinaka Okoro, calmly slotting past the Tunisian goalkeeper. The goal crowned a dominant opening 45 minutes for the seven-time African champions, who controlled the tempo and outclassed their traditionally physical North African opponents.
The second half, however, was more balanced, with fewer chances created. Nigeria thought they had earned a penalty in the 72nd minute when Mendes Richeson was brought down in the box, but a VAR review saw the decision overturned.
Tunisia came close to an equaliser late in the match when Ben Ali’s effort was denied by a brilliant reflex save from Flying Eagles goalkeeper Ifeanyi Harcourt in the 87th minute, preserving Nigeria’s slim lead.
Thursday’s result extended Nigeria’s solid head-to-head record over Tunisia at the U-20 level, with four wins from six previous encounters. The rivalry dates back to 1981, when Nigeria defeated Tunisia 4–0 in Lagos during FIFA World Youth Championship qualifiers. Notable clashes include a 2–1 win in Lagos in 1985 that secured Nigeria their second continental title, and a convincing 4–0 victory in the 2023 third-place match, also held in Egypt.
With three points secured, the Flying Eagles now shift focus to a key group-stage clash against Morocco’s Lion Cubs, scheduled for Sunday evening at the same venue in Cairo.
