Flying Eagles Soar! Nigeria Beat Senegal to Secure FIFA U-20 World Cup Spot

• Nigeria’s Flying Eagles beat Senegal on penalties to reach the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals in Egypt
• The victory also secured Nigeria’s qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup next year in Chile
• Precious Benjamin, Emmanuel Chukwu, and Israel Isaac Ayuna all converted their penalties to hand the Flying Eagles the win

Nigeria Flying Eagles have sealed qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Senegal in the quarter-final of the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The game, played on Monday, May 12, 2025, was a tightly contested affair that ended goalless after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time.

It took nerves of steel and calm execution from the penalty spot for the Flying Eagles to overcome the defending champions.

A fierce rivalry renewed

Nigeria and Senegal have met several times at the U-20 level as the Flying Eagles defeated Senegal 3-1 in the 2015 group stage and beat them again 1-0 in the final to lift the title.

Senegal, however, got their revenge in 2023 by defeating Nigeria 1-0 in their group opener.

But with this latest victory, Nigeria have reasserted their dominance, showing grit, composure, and resilience when it mattered most.

Tactical chess match from Flying Eagles

The Flying Eagles came into the quarter-final on a high after finishing their group stage unbeaten.

They beat Tunisia 1-0, held Morocco to a goalless draw, and shared the spoils 2-2 with Kenya.

Coach Aliyu Zubairu emphasised discipline in the build-up to the match against Senegal, and his words proved crucial.

The encounter was a tactical battle, with both sides maintaining solid defensive structures and limiting clear-cut chances.

After a cautious first half, the second half and extra time saw a continuation of the defensive standoff.

Nigeria win penalty shootout drama

With the match goalless after extra time, penalties were the only way to separate the two sides.

Nigeria’s Precious Benjamin opened the scoring from the spot, followed by a composed strike from Emmanuel Chukwu after a Senegal miss.

Israel Isaac Ayuna slotted in Nigeria’s third penalty, and after another miss by Senegal, the Flying Eagles booked their place in the semifinals and, more importantly, at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The win was a sweet moment of redemption for Nigeria, who had lost to Senegal in the opening match of the 2023 edition of the tournament.

The Flying Eagles now have the chance to add to their record seven titles at this level.

Nigeria draw Morocco in second group game

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Flying Eagles continued their campaign at the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with a goalless draw against Morocco in their second game.

The young Eagles came into the match off the back of a narrow 1-0 win over Tunisia in their opening match to start the campaign on a winning note.

Both teams won their opening matches and were fighting for the right to have a perfect start and lead the group, but it ended in a stalemate.

Source: Legit.ng