Nigeria’s Flying Eagles earned a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles on Thursday to open their U-20 Africa Cup of Nations campaign at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
The match was decided by a composed first-half finish from Auwal Ibrahim, who latched onto a precise through-ball from Odinaka Okoro to calmly slot home past the Tunisian goalkeeper, and it capped a dominant opening half in which the seven-time African champions played with composure and authority against their traditionally aggressive North African counterparts.
The second half offered fewer clear-cut chances, though Nigeria believed they had won a penalty in the 72nd minute when Mendos Richson was bundled to the ground in the box. However, following a VAR review, the initial decision was overturned.