Nigeria held their nerve to secure a semi-final spot at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025, defeating defending champions Senegal 3–1 on penalties after a goalless draw in regular and extra time at the Suez Canal Stadium on Monday.
The West African rivals rekindled their intense football rivalry in a tightly contested quarter-final, with both sides creating chances but ultimately failing to find the net over 120 minutes of play.
Unbeaten in the group stage, the Flying Eagles displayed composure during the shootout. Spot kicks were confidently converted by Precious Benjamin, Emmanuel Chukwu, and Israel Ayuma. Senegal, by contrast, faltered under pressure: Pierre Dorival’s penalty was saved, Mame Mor Faye’s effort was denied, and Ousmane Konaté struck the crossbar.
Seydi Diouck netted Senegal’s sole penalty, but it proved insufficient to prevent their exit from the tournament.
The victory marks Nigeria’s eighth consecutive quarter-final win under the current U-20 AFCON format. They now advance to the semi-finals, preserving their flawless record at this stage of the competition.
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Although the match ended goalless, both teams had opportunities to seal the result in open play. Nigeria’s Kparobo Arierhi and Divine Oliseh both forced saves from Senegalese goalkeeper Mouhamed Sissokho, while Cheikh Thiam went closest for Senegal, his 42nd-minute header rattling the woodwork.
As fatigue crept in, Nigeria made tactical substitutions that injected fresh attacking momentum. The introductions of Precious Benjamin and Rickson Mendos helped to raise the tempo, while Senegal brought on Seydi Diouck and Mame Mor Faye in search of a breakthrough.
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Extra time saw Nigeria dominate proceedings. Tahir Maigana forced a fine save in the 106th minute with a curling effort, while Israel Ayuma’s long-range strike shortly after also tested Sissokho. Despite their pressure, the deadlock remained unbroken.
In the shootout, Nigerian goalkeeper Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt, who had been largely untested during the match, stepped up with a crucial save from Mame Mor Faye’s penalty, shifting the momentum firmly in Nigeria’s favour.
Senegal, who entered the fixture with a solid defensive record and high hopes of retaining their title, were ultimately undone by Nigeria’s discipline and efficiency in the decisive moments. The loss marks Senegal’s first knockout defeat at U-20 AFCON since 2017.
Following the match, Nigeria’s head coach Ladan Bosso praised his team’s resolve.
“We prepared for all possibilities, including penalties. I’m proud of the boys for delivering under pressure,” he said.
With the win, Nigeria edge closer to a record-extending eighth U-20 AFCON title.
