Nigeria’s hopes of lifting their eighth U-20 AFCON title were dashed after a narrow 1–0 defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals at the Suez Canal Stadium, Footynaija.com reports.
The Flying Eagles had their moments but struggled to break through the Amajita’s solid backline.
Here’s how each player performed in the disappointing outing:
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Starting XI
1. Ebenezer Harcourt – 6.8
Harcourt looked composed in the first half, making some decent saves before being substituted early in the second half due to an injury concern.
2. Maigari Adamu – 6.4
It was a busy evening for the right-back who had his hands full with South Africa’s pace. He managed to offer some forward support but was caught out a few times.
3. Odinaka Okoro – 6.3
Okoro was disciplined defensively and showed good positioning. However, his influence in the final third was limited.
6. Daniel Bameyi (c) – 6.6
The captain tried to drive the team from the back, and his leadership was visible throughout. He won most of his duels and kept things tidy at the back.
7. Clinton Jephta – 7.3
Nigeria’s brightest spark. His energy and creativity on the right wing troubled South Africa’s defence. He delivered a couple of dangerous crosses and passes before being subbed off in the second half.
8. Suleiman Alabi – 6.0
Suleiman struggled to stamp his authority in midfield. His passing lacked precision, and he was replaced late on.
9. Kparobo Arierhi – 6.3
He tried to make things happen up front, receiving quite a number of service, but without success. He came to scoring, with some good chances from Clinton Jephta, but failed to connect properly.
10. Israel Ayuma – 7.0
Pulled the strings in midfield and showed great vision. Created Nigeria’s best chance of the match and rarely misplaced a pass.
13. Divine Oliseh – 6.2
Put in a lot of effort but faded as the game progressed. Was taken off early in the second half.
21. Tahir Maigana – 6.8
Lively on the left flank and looked like a threat with his pace. Got into promising areas but lacked end product.
22. Chukwu Emmanuel – 6.4
Was solid for most parts but allowed his marker too much room which added to what led to the decisive goal.
Substitutes
Ajia Yakub – 5.4
The Serbia-based goalkeeper came on for Harcourt and made a poor judgment on the cross that led to South Africa’s winning goal. He will be disappointed with his outing.
Precious Benjamin – 6.0
Did not offer much going forward after replacing Oliseh. Tried to keep the ball moving but lacked sharpness.
Rickson Mendos – 6.3
Was lively after replacing Jephta but could not find the final ball in the attacking third.
Bidemi Amole – 6.7
Added urgency in midfield after replacing Maigana. He looked tidy on the ball and tried to push Nigeria forward.
Auwal Ibrahim – 6.0
Had little time to impact the match. Made a couple of forward runs but was unable to create anything meaningful.
Despite the defeat, the Flying Eagles can take positives from individual performances, especially from Ayuma and Jephta. South Africa now move on to the final, while Nigeria will regroup and shift focus to the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
