Bronze or Bust: Nigeria and Egypt Clash for U20 AFCON Redemption

Africa 16 May 2025 at 15:59

Khaled Hegazy

News Editor

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles & tournament hosts Egypt will battle for 3rd place at the 2025 U20 Africa cup of Nations this Sunday 18 May at 30 June Stadium in Cairo with kick off set for 15:00 GMT.

Redemption After Semi-Final Heartbreak

Both sides are coming off painful semi final exits. Nigeria were edged 1 - 0 by South Africa despite dominating large parts of the game while Egypt fell to North African rivals Morocco by the same scoreline.

For Nigeria, the match offers chance to salvage pride after missing out on an 8th continental crown. A win would mark their record 7th bronze medal, having previously finished 3rd in 1979, 1981, 1995, 2009, 2013 and 2023.

Familiar Rivals Meet Again

This'll be rematch of their pre tournament friendly where Nigeria edged Egypt 2 - 1 thanks to goals from Kparobo Ariehi & Precious Benjamin.

Aliyu Zubairu’s side'd impressed throughout the tournament , notably eliminating defending champions Senegal , but were undone by missed chances and brilliant South African defensive display.

Substitute Bidemi Amole, Israel Ayuma and Emmanuel Chukwu all came close but the equaliser never came.

Egypt’s Road & Motivation

Led by head coach Osama Nabih, Egypt reached the knockout stage as one of the best 3rd placed teams, overcoming Ghana in the quarter finals on penalties.

Despite their strong run, the 1 - 0 semi final defeat to Morocco shattered their hopes of lifting 5th U20 AFCON title on home soil.

Nabih praised his players spirit, stating:

"We stood toe to toe with team that’s been preparing for years. I’ve only had this squad for 27 day across three camps. Today we delivered our best performance"

Final Push Before the World Stage

Both teams have already booked their spots at the FIFA U20 World cup in Chile this September but Sunday’s clash will determine who exits the continental stage with podium finish.

How to Watch

The match will be broadcast live on beIN Sports, Canal+, Time Sports and CAF TV on YouTube.