Nigeria take on Kenya at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday in their final game of the 2025 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Flying Eagles have done well in their opening two games of the competition against North African opposition, beating Tunisia 1-0 and settling for a goalless draw against Morocco on Sunday.
Now, Aliyu Zubairu’s boys are entering uncharted territory, as they face Kenya for the very first time in the history of the Under-20 AFCON.
#SoarFlyingEagles pic.twitter.com/PKmMwIAqMg
— The NFF (@thenff) May 4, 2025
Despite the novelty of the fixture, the Flying Eagles are still massive favourites to get the win due to the kind of performances they’ve produced from the their first two games.
Ahead of the game, Soccernet.ng checks how Nigeria’s Under-20 teams have per performed against East African teams at the Under-20 AFCON.
Flying Eagles at the 2025 Under-20 AFCON
The first time Nigeria played against an East Africa team was 1983, when they faced Zimbabwe. Then, the games were played over two legs, and they went on to win the game 3-2 on aggregate.
Following that win, Nigeria faced Ethiopia in the semifinal of the 1985 tournament, and they went on to win the game 4-1. The team went on to win the tournament, beating Tunisia in the final.
In the 1987 edition of the Under-20 AFCON, Nigeria faced two East African teams, and they won both ties. They defeated Zambia 3-2 in the first round and beat Somalia in the semis.
Then, in 1993, Nigeria was drawn with Mauritius in the group stage, and the game ended 2-0 in Nigeria’s favour. In 1995, Nigeria locked horns with Zambia again in the group stage, and they beat them 2-1.
The Flying Eagles’ biggest win against East African opposition came in 1999, when they defeated Malawi 5-0 in the group stage of the tournament. They also went on to play a goalless draw with Zambia later on.
However, when both teams met again in the 2007 edition, the Flying Eagles nicked a 4-2 win.
The Flying Eagles continued their winning streak against East African clubs in 2019, beating Burundi 2-0 in the group stage.
Then, in the last tournament in 2023, they defeated Mozambique 2-0 in the group stage and nicked a 1-0 win against Uganda in the quarterfinals.
Kelvin Omachonu
Kelvin Omachonu is a writer with many years of experience covering sports events in Nigeria and abroad. He is fueled by his love for the job, and is dedicated to delivering captivating stories.
