CAN U20: Tunisia falters in opener against Nigeria!

In their opening match at the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia suffered a narrow defeat to Nigeria (0-1) on Thursday at Cairo's 30 June Stadium, in a high-intensity Group B clash. Dominant in the first half, the Nigerians netted the only goal of the game through Auwal Ibrahim (38’).

Tunisia started brightly, creating a great chance as early as the 5th minute, but Nigeria’s defense held firm.

The “Flying Eagles” quickly responded, forcing Zouaghi into a sharp save between the posts. The match continued to heat up, with both sides trading blows in a fiercely contested battle.

Just before halftime, the “Carthage Eagles” appealed for a penalty after Ayari was pushed in the box, but the referee—backed by VAR—waved play on.

Tunisia was so close!

The second half maintained its high tempo. A penalty initially awarded against Tunisia was overturned after a VAR review. Then, late in the game, Anis Doubal nearly snatched an equalizer, but was denied by Harcourt (86’).

With this defeat, Tunisia gets off to a rocky start and will need to beat Kenya to keep their qualification hopes alive, while Nigeria looks to secure early advancement against Morocco.

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.