Thursday May 8, 2025 |
Daniel Bameyi was the hero for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles as his 78th-minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw against Kenya in their final Group B match, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the U-20 Africa Championship.
It was a tense encounter from the start, with Kenya drawing first blood just six minutes in through Wanganya, who capitalised on a defensive slip to give the East Africans an early lead.
But Nigeria responded swiftly, as Arirehi K. found the back of the net in the 13th minute, levelling the score at 1-1.
The game remained finely balanced through much of the second half, but Gitamu W. struck in the 68th minute to restore Kenya’s advantage, raising the pressure on Nigeria.
Just five minutes later, the Flying Eagles were handed a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty.
Team captain Daniel Bameyi stepped up and coolly slotted it home in the 73rd minute to make it 2-2.
Despite late chances from both sides, neither team could find a winner, and the match ended in a draw.
With the result, Nigeria finish second in Group B behind Morocco, who top the group, and move on to the quarterfinals.
Kenya, meanwhile, are eliminated from the tournament after finishing third.
