Egypt 1 Nigeria 2: Kparobo strikes, Precious nets 83rd minute winner as Flying Eagles stun Young Pharaohs

Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, on Tuesday defeated their Egyptian counterparts, Young Pharaohs 2-1 in a pre-Africa U20 Cup of Nations friendly at the Cairo International Stadium.

Kparobo Arierhi, who scored three goals as Nigeria successfully defended her WAFU B U20 Championship title in Lome in October (including a brace in the final that dashed Ghana’s hopes), scored Nigeria’s first in the 10th minute of the encounter after a good pass from Bidemi Amole.

The Young Pharaohs pulled one back in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but a dominant Nigeria side shot into the lead again with seven minutes left on the clock after Precious Benjamin made no mistake from the spot, following a foul on Divine Oliseh in the hosts’ eighteen-yard box.

Seven-time African champions Nigeria achieved the morale-boosting victory less than 48 hours after arriving in the Egyptian capital for the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which gets underway on Sunday.

The Flying Eagles’ first match is against Tunisia on Thursday next week, before further games against Morocco and Kenya in Group B.

On their part, hosts Egypt, who head Group A, will take on South Africa on Sunday, before further games against Sierra Leone on 30th April, Zambia on 3rd May and Tanzania on 9th May.

The team, led by coach Aliyu Zubairu, qualified for the tournament after a successful campaign at the WAFU Zone B tournament in Togo, where they overcame initial setbacks to clinch the title, including a crucial 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Ghana in the final.

A strong performance in the tournament is crucial, as a place in the semifinals guarantees Nigeria a spot at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. 

Adeyemi Adewale

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