Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Flying Eagles following their 2-2 draw against Kenya in the final Group B match of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Aliyu Zubairu’s team showed grit and determination to come from behind twice in Wednesday’s encounter, with Kparobo Arierhi and captain Daniel Bameyi finding the net for the seven-time champions.
Despite Kenya’s impressive start and ability to put Nigeria under pressure, the Flying Eagles did enough to secure the vital point needed to progress to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria, the most successful team in the tournament’s history with seven titles, two runners-up finishes, and four bronze medals, once again demonstrated their pedigree, even in the face of adversity.
Chelle, who only arrived in Egypt a few hours before the match, was in the stands to witness the high-stakes showdown.
“I’m very happy with our U20 team’s qualification,” he told CAFonline. “It wasn’t an easy match, because we were up against a very good team (Kenya). We reacted in this match. Every time we conceded a goal, the team responded well.”
He also acknowledged that the team looked fatigued at times, which affected their overall fluency in the final third.
“I felt we were a little tired. It’s true that we struggled with our attacking play, but it was a very interesting match to watch.”
Looking beyond the result, Chelle stressed that the main goal of the tournament is to nurture young talent for the future of Nigerian football.
“U20 are 19-year-olds, 18-year-olds. These are players who, in a year or even two years, will be in their country’s senior national team.
“There are good players in this team, there are some in the Kenyan team too. I think it’s good to come and watch.”
With the draw securing Nigeria’s place in the knockout rounds, they’ll now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they will aim to keep their dream of winning an eighth U-20 AFCON title alive.
