Nigeria held their nerve to secure a place in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, defeating defending champions Senegal 3-1 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation and extra time at the Suez Canal Stadium on Monday.
The West African giants renewed their fierce rivalry in a tense quarter-final that saw both teams create numerous scoring chances, but ultimately fail to break the deadlock over 120 minutes of action.
Having remained unbeaten in the group stages, Nigeria showed composure during the shootout, with Precious Benjamin, Emmanuel Chukwu, and Israel Ayuma each converting their spot kicks with confidence.
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On the other hand, Senegal faltered under the pressure, as Pierre Dorival’s penalty was saved, Mame Mor Faye’s was denied, and Ousmane Konaté saw his attempt crash off the crossbar.
Seydi Diouck scored Senegal’s only successful penalty, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the reigning champions from being eliminated from the tournament.
This victory marks Nigeria’s eighth consecutive quarter-final win at the U-20 AFCON under the current format. The Flying Eagles now advance to the semi-finals, where they will aim to maintain their record of never losing a quarter-final tie in this competition.
Despite the final scoreline, both sides had moments where they could have clinched victory in open play. Nigeria’s Kparobo Arierhi and Divine Oliseh each forced saves from Senegal’s goalkeeper Mouhamed Sissokho, while Senegal’s Cheikh Thiam came agonisingly close in the 42nd minute with a header that rattled the post.
As the match progressed, fatigue began to set in, but the determination from both teams never wavered. Nigeria’s tactical substitutions, including the introduction of Precious Benjamin and Rickson Mendos, injected attacking energy late on, while Senegal reshuffled their side, with players like Seydi Diouck and Mame Mor Faye pushing for a breakthrough.
Extra time saw Nigeria press forward with renewed vigour. Tahir Maigana’s curling strike in the 106th minute forced a fine save from Sissokho, while Israel Ayuma’s long-range effort two minutes later also demanded a stop. Despite Nigeria’s dominance in the closing stages, the deadlock remained.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who had been largely untested during the match, became the hero during the penalty shootout. His vital save against Mame Mor Faye’s spot-kick shifted the momentum in Nigeria’s favour.
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Senegal, who entered the match with a strong defensive record and ambitions to defend their title, were ultimately undone by Nigeria’s discipline and precision during the crucial moments. This defeat marked Senegal’s first loss in a knockout match since 2017.
Post-match, Nigeria’s head coach Ladan Bosso praised his team’s resilience: “We prepared for all scenarios, including penalties. I’m proud of the boys for executing under pressure,” he said.
With this result, Nigeria are now one step closer to a record-extending eighth U-20 AFCON title, while Senegal will reflect on what could have been after a hard-fought campaign.
