Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will face host nation Egypt in the third-place match of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cairo on Sunday.
Both teams entered the tournament as strong contenders and were tipped to reach the final. However, surprise semi-final defeats have relegated them to the losers’ final, where pride and the bronze medal are now at stake.
In the final, Morocco and South Africa will rekindle their rivalry in a rematch of the 1997 championship clash, which the Atlas Cubs won 1-0 in Meknes.
Sunday’s bronze-medal match will mark the fifth time Nigeria will compete for third place, having previously won bronze on three occasions. Egypt, also three-time bronze medallists, are making their fourth appearance in a third-place match.
The two nations share a storied rivalry at the youth level. Notably, they clashed in the 2005 final in Cotonou, where Nigeria triumphed 2-0 courtesy of a brace from the late Isaac Promise.
In 2013, Nigeria defeated Mali 2-1 to clinch third place after losing to Egypt in the semi-finals. However, in 2019, the Flying Eagles suffered back-to-back shootout losses to Mali and South Africa to finish fourth.
Egypt’s first U20 continental title came in 1981 when they beat Cameroon 3-1 on aggregate. Nigeria’s maiden appearance was in 1979, when they failed to advance after a 2-1 aggregate loss to Guinea.
The Flying Eagles claimed victory the last time they met Egypt in the group stage two years ago, with Solomon Agbalaka scoring the winner with a powerful first-half header.
Head coach Aliyu Zubairu is expected to make several changes following Thursday’s defeat to South Africa. First-choice goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt remains doubtful and will undergo a late fitness test ahead of Sunday’s clash.
