Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have booked a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after holding the Rising Stars of Kenya to a 2-2 draw at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Under coach Aliyu Zubairu, the Flying Eagles began their AFCON campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Tunisia, courtesy of Auwal Ibrahim’s 38th-minute strike. That was followed by a goalless draw against Morocco, which solidified Nigeria’s second position in Group B with four points. This meant they only needed a draw in their final match to qualify for the last eight, regardless of the result between Morocco and Tunisia.

Facing Kenya’s Rising Stars, the group’s underdogs who had suffered back-to-back losses (a 3-2 defeat to Morocco and a 3-1 loss to Tunisia), Nigeria were expected to deliver a commanding performance in what marked their 100th match in the history of the U-20 AFCON. However, the early minutes defied expectations, as VAR ruled that Nigerian centre-back Chukwu had blocked a goal-bound shot with his arm inside the box.

Kevin Wanganya made no mistake from the spot in the sixth minute, sending Ebenezer Harcourt the wrong way and ending Nigeria’s run of clean sheets in the tournament.

Nigeria responded about seven minutes following an impressive team play. After Cletus threaded a through-ball to Arierhi Kparobo, the former Beyond Limits calmly looped the goalkeeper for the equaliser.

The game went into the break at 1-1, but a double substitution by Kenya early in the second half quickly influenced proceedings. About 22 minutes after coming on, William Gitamu capitalised on a sublime free-kick delivery from Humphrey Obina to restore Kenya’s lead. However, the Rising Stars’ lead was once again short-lived.

Following a foul on a Nigerian attacker in the box, captain Daniel Bameyi stepped up and confidently converted the penalty to wrap up the scoring on the night.

With Morocco defeating Tunisia 3-1, the result ensured Nigeria finished second in Group B behind Morocco. The Flying Eagles will know their quarter-final opponents on Thursday after the Group C matches between defending champions Senegal and DR Congo, and Ghana vs Central African Republic.

Meanwhile, Nigeria remain the most successful side in the tournament’s history with seven titles and two runner-up finishes.