Nigeria’s U20 MNT secured a 2-1 victory over Egypt in a friendly match on Tuesday, as part of their preparations for the upcoming Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
The match took place at the Cairo International Stadium and offered both sides a chance to assess their squads before the continental showdown.
The Flying Eagles wasted no time in making their presence felt. In the 10th minute, Kparobo Arierhi scored from Bidemi Amole’s assist.
Arierhi was instrumental in Nigeria’s successful WAFU B U20 Championship title defence in Lome last October. He scored three goals including a brace in the final against Ghana.
The Young Pharaohs responded in the second half with a well-taken equalizer from Ahmed Kaabaka in the 65th minute.
Despite Egypt’s growing confidence, the Flying Eagles continued to apply pressure, and their efforts paid off late in the game.
With just seven minutes remaining, Divine Oliseh was brought down in the penalty area.
Precious Benjamin stepped up and calmly slotted home the resulting penalty to restore Nigeria’s lead.
It was a hard-fought win for the seven-time African champions, especially considering they had only arrived in Cairo less than 48 hours before the fixture.
The result serves as a morale booster ahead of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on Sunday.
Nigeria are placed in Group B and will open their campaign against Tunisia on Thursday.
Subsequent group fixtures will see them take on Morocco and Kenya in what promises to be a competitive group.
Meanwhile, Egypt, the tournament hosts and Group A leaders, will kick off their campaign against South Africa on Sunday.
They will then face Sierra Leone on April 30, Zambia on May 3, and Tanzania on May 9.
The Flying Eagles will now look to carry the momentum from this victory into the tournament, as they aim to claim an eighth continental crown.
