Seven-time champions Nigeria’s Flying Eagles and hosts and four-time champions Egypt will both fight hard for the bronze medals when they clash in the third-place match of the ongoing Africa U20 Cup of Nations finals in Cairo on Sunday.
Both teams were rated by pundits to emerge from their semi-final clashes, but the result went the other way and they are now due to play the losers’ final at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in downtown Cairo.
Morocco and South Africa will tango in a repeat of the 1997 Final, which the Atlas Cubs won 1-0 in Meknes.
It is the fifth time that Nigeria, who won the title in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2015 will be playing for the bronze medals. For Egypt, it will be the fourth time. Both have won the bronze medals three times previously.
Also, both Nigeria and Egypt contested the 2005 Final in Cotonou, with the Flying Eagles coming out top following a 2-0 win. Isaac Promise (of blessed memory) scored both goals.
As hosts in 1995, after losing their semi final tie to Cameroon in Kaduna, the Flying Eagles defeated Mali 1-0 in Lagos to pick up the bronze medals. In 2009 in Rwanda, the team led by Haruna Lukman defeated South Africa’s Amajita 2-1 to place third in the competition.
In 2013, in Algeria, the Flying Eagles defeated Mali 2-1 to finish third after losing 0-2 to Egypt in their semi final clash at the Stade Omar Oucief in Aïn Témounchent. Six years ago, following a penalty-shootout defeat to Mali in the semi finals, the Flying Eagles again lost on penalty shootout to South Africa in the third-place match.
Egypt’s first African U20 title was in 1981 (when the competition was played on home-and-away basis), after they defeated Cameroon 3-1 on aggregate. Both teams travelled to Australia to represent Africa at the FIFA World Youth Championship (now known as FIFA U20 World Cup). Cameroon had earlier beaten Nigeria 4-2 on aggregate in the penultimate round.
The Young Pharaohs won their second title at the inaugural tournament-format finals, which Egypt hosted and which involved six countries, in 1991. Their third title came 12 years later in Burkina Faso, when they defeated Côte d’Ivoire 4-3 after extra time at the Stade 4 August in Ouagadougou.
Egypt won their fourth title 10 years later. Ghana, the 1999 world champions, were the victims. Regulation and extra time finished 1-1 at the Stade Ahmed Zabana in Oran, before the Young Pharaohs claimed the gong after winning the penalty shootout 5-4.
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Nigeria’s first participation in the Africa U20 Cup of Nations was in 1979, when the team led by Sylvanus Okpala lost 1-2 on aggregate (0-1 in Conakry and 1-1 in Lagos) to Guinea and thus failed to qualify for the second edition of the global finals staged by Japan.
The Young Pharaohs, who lost by the odd goal to North African rivals Morocco in the second semi-final on Thursday, have also won the third-place match at the competition thrice previously.
They defeated Ethiopia on two occasions, 3-0 in Mauritius in 1993 and 2-0 when Ethiopia hosted eight years later. Their third win came in South Africa in 2011, when they defeated Mali’s Aiglons.
Nigeria and Egypt clashed in a group stage game two years ago, with the Flying Eagles victorious following Solomon Agbalaka’s powerful first-half header.
Head Coach Aliyu Zubairu may ring changes in the squad for Sunday’s game. The gaffer voiced his disappointment with the playing body following Thursday’s defeat to the Amajita.
Injured first-choice goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt is still under observation and would need a second assessment at Saturday night’s official training, to determine if he will be fit to return to the battlefield. Captain Daniel Bameyi, Odinaka Okoro, Adamu Maigari and Emmanuel Chukwu are the probables for rearguard.
Israel Ayuma has had an impressive tournament and should start in midfield, alongside any two among Sulyman Alabi, Simon Cletus, Divine Oliseh and Auwal Ibrahim. Clinton Jephta, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, Bidemi Amole, Precious Benjamin and Mendos Rickson are available for selection in the forward-line.
