By Gabriel Kekong
The Under 20 Nigeria national team (Flying Eagles) on Wednesday got back into the ongoing 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win over the host nation Egypt.
The Flying Eagles waited until 71 minutes into the second half before Solomon Agbalaka grabbed the winning goal for the West African country when he nodded a corner kick into the back of the net.
Meanwhile, the Group A leader Senegal also got the better side of the game against Mozambique beating them 3-0. The result, however, has placed them top of the group with six points in two games and has qualified for the quarter-finals with a game to spare
Les Lionceaux are through to the quarterfinals with a match to spare following the victory ahead of their final group stage matchup against hosts Egypt. Mozambique, with a point from their two games, will likely need to defeat Nigeria on Saturday to have any chance of joining Senegal in the quarterfinals.
The Senegalese team was labeled favorites to win the competition and continue to live up to expectations, taking control early on against the Mambas who did manage to hold out well in the first half with their organized defense. After struggling to find a breakthrough while controlling possession and posing more of a threat, Les Lionceaux hit their opponents with a punch just before halftime.
The Flying Eagles of Nigeria got their campaign at the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt off to a poor start, after losing 1-0 to Senegal in their first game in Group A and are looking for the last group game against Mozambique where a win will see them through to the quarter-finals
