AFCON U-20: Flying Eagles Soar into Quarter-Finals After 2-2 Thriller with Kenya

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations after a pulsating 2-2 draw against Kenya in their final Group B match.

The result sees Aliyu Zubairu’s side finish second in the group with five points, behind group leaders Morocco, who thrashed Tunisia 3-1 in Ismailia to top the table with seven points.

🔁 Tale of Two Comebacks

The game was anything but dull. Kenya stunned the Flying Eagles early on when Emmanuel Chukwu’s handball in the box led to a VAR-reviewed penalty, which captain Kevin Wangaya Colly calmly dispatched in the 6th minute.

Nigeria responded swiftly as Lillestrøm’s Kparobo Arierhi leveled the score in the 13th minute with a composed finish after a clever pass from Simon Cletus.

The second half saw Nigeria dictate possession but lack cutting edge up front. Kenya struck again in the 68th minute as William Nwangi, fresh off the bench, capitalized on a loose ball from Humphrey Kegengo’s free-kick to restore their lead.

Just when it looked like the Rising Stars would snatch a famous win, Daniel Bameyi converted a late penalty to ensure Nigeria grabbed a valuable point and advanced to the knockout round.

🔍 Opinion: Flying Eagles Show Resilience, But Work Still Needed

While the Flying Eagles showed character to fight back twice, Zubairu’s team will need to be more clinical and organized defensively as they head into the quarter-finals.

Their attacking potential is promising—with Arierhi continuing to impress—but the inability to turn dominance into goals remains a concern.

🗓️ Nigeria now awaits their quarter-final opponents, and fans will be hoping for a more solid performance as the title chase intensifies.

🇳🇬 Can the Flying Eagles fly higher in the knockouts?