Nigeria To Face Kenya In U-20 AFCON

The Flying Eagles will reach a century of games in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations when they play Kenya, who have already been eliminated, in the final Group B match of the current 24th edition in Egypt on Wednesday (today).

The match offers Aliyu Zubairu’s side a chance not only to advance to the knockout stages but also to top the group. A draw will be enough to earn qualification, while a win could see them finish as group leaders, provided the other group fixture between Morocco and Tunisia ends in a draw or a Tunisian victory.

Nigeria head into the tie with an illustrious legacy at the tournament. In their 99 previous matches, they have recorded 56 victories, 21 more than their closest challengers Ghana, who have won 35 times. The Flying Eagles are also the only team to have scored over 100 goals at the competition, with an impressive tally of 156 goals. Ghana sit a distant second with 91, just ahead of Cameroon’s 90.

In terms of honours, Nigeria lead the continental standings with seven titles having amassed 187 points from 20 tournament appearances. Egypt’s Young Pharaohs follow with four titles and 121 points, while Ghana’s Black Satellites, also four-time champions, trail on 120 points.

Statistically, however, the current campaign has presented a mixed picture for Nigeria. They began with a 1-0 victory over Tunisia before playing out a goalless draw with Morocco. Despite remaining unbeaten, the Flying Eagles have scored just one goal so far, raising concerns over their attacking efficiency. They have the lowest shot conversion rate in the group at 6.25 per cent and are tied with Tunisia for the fewest shots on target (seven).

By contrast, Kenya, despite their early ousting, have managed 11 shots on target and boast a conversion rate of 14.29 per cent, the second best in the group behind Tunisia.

Defensively, Rising Stars of Kenya lead the group with 34 tackles won but have conceded six goals in two matches. Nigeria, meanwhile, have kept two clean sheets, thanks in part to goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who made two saves against Tunisia and faced no shots on target in the draw with Morocco.

Historically, Nigeria have a strong record in their final group matches. Since the tournament adopted its current format in 1993, the Flying Eagles have advanced to the knockout stages in all but two editions, 1993 and 2001. They have won seven, drawn two, and lost three of their 12 final group games in that period, and are unbeaten in their last six such fixtures, with five wins and a draw. The only draw in that run came against Côte d’Ivoire in 2022. Their last defeat in a final group match was a 2-0 loss to Cameroon in 2007.

A goalless draw against Kenya would see Nigeria advance with just one goal scored, matching their lowest group stage tally since 2001. However, unlike that year, they would progress to the next round. If they avoid defeat, it would mark the eighth time Nigeria have gone through the group stage unbeaten.

This year’s campaign also marks only the second time the Flying Eagles have kept clean sheets in their opening two group matches, having last done so in 2019 when they completed the group stage without conceding.

In their most recent encounter with East African opposition, Nigeria edged Uganda 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2023 edition. Kenya, on the other hand, are facing West African opponents at this stage of the competition for the first time.