Nigeria 1 Egypt 1 (4-1 on pens): Five observations from Flying Eagles shootout win v Young Pharaohs

Nigeria claimed the bronze medal at the AFCON U20 tournament with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over hosts Egypt on Sunday evening at the 30 June Stadium.

The Flying Eagles triumphed 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Egypt took the lead in the first half through Omar Osama Hassan Hassan, but Nigeria hit back early in the second half with a well-taken equalizer from Bidemi Olalekan Amole.

With neither side able to find a winner before the final whistle, the match was decided by penalties, where Nigeria held their nerve to silence the home crowd and seal a 4-1 win.

The result secured Nigeria’s second consecutive bronze medal in the competition, following their third-place finish in 2023. 

Allnigeriasoccer.com presents five observations from the match.

Zubairu makes five changes against Egypt

Flying Eagles head coach Aliyu Zubairu made five changes to his starting lineup for Sunday’s third-place encounter against Egypt at the 30 June Stadium, following their 1-0 semifinal defeat to South Africa.

Precious Benjamin was drafted in to lead the attack, replacing Kparobo Nathaniel Arierhi, who dropped to the bench. 

Ezekiel Anthony Kpangu and Yushau Armiyau were handed their first starts of the tournament but were both withdrawn before the end of the first half.

Auwal Ibrahim stepped in at left-back in place of the suspended Odinaka Okoro, while Soliu Ajia Yakub earned his first start of the season, filling in for the injured Ebenezer Harcourt.

Ahmed Abd El Fattah adds to Egypt's injury woes

Egypt has struggled with players' fitness before the commencement of the third-place clash on Sunday.

However, the team’s fitness concerns deepened during the third-place clash, with Ahmed Abd El Fattah Bassiuny Sharaf adding to their growing injury list.

The midfielder picked up a suspected hamstring injury late in the first half and was forced off just three minutes before the break. He was replaced by Amr Khaled Ali Mohamed El Amin.

Nigeria Wasteful in Front of Goal Despite Dominance

Nigeria once again dominated proceedings against Egypt but failed to make their superiority count, squandering numerous goal-scoring opportunities throughout the match.

The Flying Eagles fell behind early in the first half but leveled shortly after the restart, taking advantage of a defensive error by Egypt during the build-up.

Despite controlling possession for most of the game, Nigeria’s inability to convert clear-cut chances proved costly, leaving them to rue missed opportunities in a match they could have comfortably won.

Egypt Deploys Time-Wasting Tactics

Egypt took an early lead in the first half through Omar Osama Hassan Hassan, who tapped home to put his side ahead.

However, Nigeria responded strongly, seizing control of the game and dominating possession in pursuit of an equalizer and a potential winner.

In an attempt to preserve their slim advantage, the Egyptian players repeatedly resorted to time-wasting tactics.

Both outfield players and the goalkeeper frequently went to ground, deliberately slowing down the game to disrupt Nigeria's rhythm and run down the clock.

Rafiu Abubakar the Hero as Nigeria Clinch Bronze

Rafiu Abubakar, Nigeria’s third-choice goalkeeper, proved to be the difference-maker after coming on late in the game.

Introduced in the 94th minute to replace Soliu Ajia Yakub just before the penalty shootout, Abubakar rose to the occasion, saving two spot-kicks to guide Nigeria to a 4-1 victory on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time. 

His heroics secured the Flying Eagles the bronze medal.

Adeyemi Adewale

Photo Credit: EFA

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