By Njoku Chijioke
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles got their 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to a flying start with a gritty 1-0 win over Tunisia, thanks to a first half strike from Auwal Ibrahim.
Ibrahim found the net in the 38th minute after a moment of brilliance from Odinaka Okoro, who threaded a precise through pass that sliced open the Tunisian backline.
Calm under pressure, Ibrahim placed the ball beyond the goalkeeper to hand Nigeria an early advantage at the 30 June Stadium.
Though Tunisia responded with waves of second half pressure, Nigeria’s defense held strong.
Captain Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari were rock solid at the back, snuffing out threats and ensuring the Flying Eagles maintained their slender lead.
The hard-earned victory keeps Nigeria’s record strong in tournament openers, having now gone unbeaten in eight of their last ten.
With three points in the bag, Nigeria now looks ahead to Group B clashes with Morocco and Kenya as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
