Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after playing out a 2-2 draw against Kenya in their final Group B match on Wednesday.
According to a 9am News report, striker Kparobo Arierhi and captain Daniel Bameyi were the heroes for Nigeria, each scoring a goal to help the team finish second in the group with five points.
Group leaders Morocco topped the table with seven points after defeating Tunisia 3-1 in the other Group B match played on Wednesday. Tunisia, with three points, now face an anxious wait to see if they will qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
Kenya stunned the Flying Eagles early, taking the lead in the sixth minute through a penalty converted by Kevin Injehu. But Nigeria quickly responded, as Arierhi equalised in the 13th minute by slotting home past the Kenyan goalkeeper after a well-timed pass.
Arierhi nearly doubled his tally just four minutes later, but the Kenyan keeper produced a smart save. On the defensive end, Flying Eagles goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt kept Nigeria in the game with a crucial stop in the 20th minute, while Daniel Bameyi made a brilliant clearance in the 66th minute to deny Kenya.
Kenya regained the lead in the 68th minute when William Gitama poked home a set piece at the far post. However, Nigeria was awarded a penalty just four minutes later, and captain Bameyi made no mistake from the spot to level the score at 2-2.
Substitute Divine Oliseh had two late chances to snatch a win for Nigeria, but his efforts were either saved or missed the target.
The Flying Eagles will now prepare for the knockout stages, aiming to build on their strong group-stage showing. The team will be hoping to improve on their finishing and defensive concentration as they face tougher opponents in the quarter-finals.
Kenya, who entered the game after two defeats, can take some pride from their spirited performance but have exited the tournament.
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