The Flying Eagles of Nigeria are set to take on the Young Atlas Lions of Morocco in their second group stage game of the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt, Footynaija.com reports.
Both teams will be battling for supremacy in Group B on Sunday, May 4 after recording victory in their respective opening matches of the tournament. Aliyu Zubairu’s Nigeria were 1-0 winners over opening day opponents Tunisia while Mohammed Ouahbi’s Morocco battled to a thrilling 3-2 win over Kenya.
In this article, Footynaija.com brings you everything you need to know ahead of this blockbuster match-up.
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Nigeria vs Morocco: AFCON U-20 History
Nigeria’s outstanding pedigree at this level automatically makes them one of the favourites to at least secure a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year. Making their 14th appearance in the competition, the Flying Eagles have enjoyed success at the U-20 level on seven occasions (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015) and are gunning for a record extending eighth.
Meanwhile, Morocco have only tasted glory at this level once, with the Young Atlas Lions seeking to re-establish themselves as a force to contend with at this level. Making their 7th appearance in this tournament, they missed out on the last edition that took place in 2023 with their singular triumph coming way back in 1997.
Head-to-Head record
Nigeria and Morocco have only ever faced each other at the AFCON U-20 once. They clashed in the semi-finals of the 2005 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Benin. Morocco scored first through Mouhssine Iajour, but Nigeria equalized in the second half via Solomon Okoronkwo. Iajour scored again in extra time, before Victor Nsofor leveled the match, leading to a penalty shootout which Nigeria won 5-3.
Both nations met again just a few months later, this time in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. Nigeria won the match 3-0, with goals from Taye Taiwo, Adefemi Olubayo, and Chinedu Ogbuke, securing a place in the final, where they lost to Argentina.
A match of significant ramifications
Sunday’s game is absolutely pivotal to the aspirations of the Flying Eagles as well as the Young Atlas Lions. Victory for either side will see them book a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament and edge closer to their goal of securing a spot at the World Cup in Chile later this year.
Nigeria will also be looking to establish their reputations as one of the leading contenders to go all the way in this year’s tournament while Morocco will be out to secure all three points against the most decorated side in the competitions history and send a statement of intent to the rest of their rivals.
Players to watch
Clinton Jephta, Odinaka Okoro and Auwal Ibrahim were some of the standout stars for the Flying Eagles in that opening game against Tunisia. Okoro and Ibrahim combined brilliantly to grab Nigeria’s winner while Jephta was a joy to watch. Kparabo Areirhi is another player who could make a difference for Nigeria.
From the Moroccan aspect of things, Paris Saint-Germain academy product Naoufel El Hannach and Venezia striker Saad El Haddad are players to look out for as they can also potentially make significant contributions for their team.
Match details
Fixture: Nigeria U-20 vs Morocco U-20 – Group B
Tournament: TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025
Date: Sunday, May 4, 2025
Kick-off: 7:00 pm
Venue: 30 June Air Defence Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
Where to watch the game
Fans in Nigeria and across the continent can follow the game live via the platforms below:
SuperSport Football and SuperSport Variety (for DSTV subscribers)
CAF TV live on YouTube
Afrosport TV (Free-to-air in Nigeria)
