Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have booked a thrilling semifinal clash against South Africa’s Amajita at the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, following a dramatic quarterfinal night that saw both nations overcome tough opposition to advance.
Aliyu Zubairu’s men edged out defending champions Senegal in a tense, goalless affair that stretched through 120 minutes of football before Nigeria triumphed 3-1 on penalties.
The win not only sent the Flying Eagles into the last four but also secured their place at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup.
South Africa, like Nigeria, were made to dig deep. Facing a stubborn DR Congo side, the Amajita struggled to find a breakthrough in normal time.
However, substitute Thabang Mahlangu emerged the hero, scoring in the dying seconds of the first half of extra time to seal a hard-fought 1-0 win.
The two sides now renew their long-standing rivalry, with echoes of past encounters adding extra spice to the semifinal.
Their most recent meeting at this stage of the competition came in the 2019 third-place playoff, where South Africa defeated Nigeria on penalties to claim the bronze. That, in turn, avenged their own 2-1 defeat to the Flying Eagles in the same fixture a decade earlier in 2009.
Despite South Africa’s confidence, Nigeria will go into the clash as favourites.
The Flying Eagles remain the most successful side in U20 AFCON history, having lifted the trophy a record seven times. With a talented squad and momentum on their side, they will be aiming for an eighth title and their first since 2015.
South Africa, on the other hand, are chasing history. The Amajita have never won the tournament, with their best finish coming in 1997 when they were beaten 1-0 by Morocco in the final. Now, with a World Cup ticket already in the bag, they believe they can go one better.
Elsewhere, the second semifinal sees Morocco square off against hosts Egypt. Morocco edged past impressive debutants Sierra Leone 1-0 after extra time in their quarterfinal, thanks to a late winner that sealed their progress.
Egypt’s route to the semis was far more dramatic.
The Young Pharaohs raced into a 2-0 lead against Ghana within the first half hour, only to be pegged back by the resilient Black Satellites, who forced the match into penalties after a 2-2 draw. Egypt eventually held their nerve to win the shootout 5-4 in front of a jubilant home crowd.
