Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will have to make do with a third place playoff finish at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations after falling short against South Africa in the semi-final on Thursday, Footynaija.com reports.
Despite dominating proceedings for large periods of the game, the Flying Eagles succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismaila after failing to capitalize on their first half dominance.
Looking back on a disappointing evening for Aliyu Zubairu’s Flying Eagles, Footynaija.com brings you three key takeaways from the game.
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Ebenezer Harcourt is irreplaceable
The Sporting Lagos shot-stopper has been phenomenal for the Flying Eagles throughout this tournament with his penalty shootout heroics against Senegal certainly a standout moment for Nigeria.
Harcourt was forced off during today’s game due to injury and that proved costly for the Flying Eagles as his replacement Ajia Yakub’s error basically gifted Amajita a first AFCON U20 final appearance in 22 years.
Lack of clinical edge finally proves costly
The Flying Eagles have been pretty impressive in this tournament with their dominant style of play catching the eye of fans and pundits alike. However, one area where they have struggled is in terms of converting chances.
Nigeria were the lowest scorers among the last four and they ultimately failed to add to their three goals in the competition despite utterly dominating South Africa in the first half. All it took for Amajita to book their final slot was a single goal.
There’s work to be done ahead of U20 World Cup
From what the Flying Eagles have shown in this tournament, Aliyu Zubairu and the boys have got his work cut out for them ahead of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
The main task will be to find a solution to Nigeria’s lack of edge in attack as this could prove vital to the Flying Eagles’ aspirations for the upcoming tournament. While the defense remains Nigeria’s biggest strength, finding the perfect midfield combination could also be pivotal in Chile.
