Nigeria’s Flying Eagles secured a 1-0 victory against Tunisia in their opening match of the U-20 AFCON

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria stayed true to their rich U-20 AFCON legacy with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their tournament opener on Thursday, preserving their spotless record against the North Africans in key encounters.

At Cairo’s 30 June Stadium, it was 38 minutes of deadlock before Auwal Ibrahim, a bright spark from Akwa United, calmly finished off a precise attacking move that defined the first half. The goal, simple in execution yet complex in its orchestration, proved decisive as Nigeria claimed all three points.

Coach Aliyu Zubairu had emphasized the importance of a confident start, especially after Nigeria’s encouraging 2-1 warm-up victory over host nation Egypt. “That match gave us rhythm and belief,” Zubairu said. “Tunisia was always going to be tough, but we stuck to our plan.”

The squad, composed of both domestic talents and European-based professionals — including Germany-based midfielder Precious Benjamin and fleet-footed Kparobo Arierhi — demonstrated the composure and hunger that have characterized past Flying Eagles sides.

This latest win continues Nigeria’s dominance over Tunisia in U-20 AFCON history, following triumphs in the 1985 final and the 2023 third-place match. With this result, the Flying Eagles climb to the top of Group B and move closer to their ultimate ambition — a top-four finish that would qualify them for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year.