Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, have returned to the country following their third-place finish at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Coached by Aliyu Zubairu, the Flying Eagles secured the bronze medal after defeating hosts Egypt 4-1 on penalties in the third-place match.
The encounter ended in a stalemate in regulation time, but the Nigerian players held their nerve in the shootout to emerge victorious.
Nigeria secured a 14th podium finish in the history of the U-20 AFCON, and also extended their impressive record against host nations in the tournament.
More importantly, the team punched a ticket for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile this September.
The seven-time African champions will join Egypt, Morocco, and newly crowned champions South Africa as Africa’s representatives at the global tournament.
The team flew back to Abuja on Tuesday afternoon, departing from the Guard Hotel in Cairo to the Cairo International Airport via EgyptAir for the four-hour journey back home.
Nigeria’s campaign in Egypt saw several promising displays, but they narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
The eventual champions, South Africa’s Amajita, pulled off a shock 1-0 victory over Morocco in Sunday’s final to lift their first-ever U-20 AFCON title.
With their bronze medal win, the Flying Eagles have now shifted focus to the World Cup in Chile. The players and coaching staff are expected to go on a short break before resuming preparations for the tournament.
The 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup promises to be a major test for Aliyu Zubairu’s side, who will be aiming to improve on Nigeria’s past performances on the world stage and possibly contend for the country’s first U-20 world title.
