AFCON U20: Flying Eagles to face Gambia Monday

Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face Gambia U20 national team in the semi-final of the 2023 CAF U20 African Nations Cup.

Nigeria on Thursday edged Uganda 1-0 to pick the semi-final and World Cup tickets while Gambia walloped South Sudan 5-0 to set up the semi-final tie and also picked the FIFA U20 world Cup ticket.

Adama Bojan scored hat trick for Gambia in 7th, 33rd and 47th minutes.

Moses Jaju scored one goal in the 28th minute while Mahmudu Bajo in the 71st minute scored the last and fifth goal of the quarter final tie.

The seven times African champions, Nigeria will face Gambia on Monday 6th March, 2023 in the semi-final of the CAF underage competition.

Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau has told the country’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles to focus their minds on winning Monday’s semi-final clash with either The Gambia or South Sudan to reach the Final of the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations ongoing in Egypt.

Speaking to the players and officials in their dressing room at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium after the victory over Uganda on Thursday, which qualified the Flying Eagles for this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals; Gusau lauded the spirited efforts of the squad and implored them to do even better against the opponents in the last four.

“You have done a great job in achieving our first objective here, which is to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. With the World Cup ticket in our pouch, it is now time to go for the trophy itself.

“Our country has won this same trophy seven times before but our last triumph was eight years ago, in Senegal. Time for another triumph. For now, the semi-final is what is in front of you and what you must focus hard on,” Gusau, who was in company with Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Nura Abba Rimi, said.

An own goal by Ugandan defender Ibrahim Juma, in a panicky touch following Ibrahim Muhammad’s shot that rattled the upright, sent the Flying Eagles to the semi-finals and also earned a FIFA U20 World Cup ticket, for Nigeria’s 13th appearance at the global finals.

At the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, Nigeria have been winners seven times, finished as runners-up twice and been bronze medalists three times.

At the global level, the Flying Eagles have been silver medalists on two occasions and won the bronze medals once, as well as reaching the quarter finals when Nigeria hosted in 1999, in Canada in 2007 and in Colombia in 2011.