THE Flying Eagles of Nigeria face a tough challenge to qualify for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals and the FIFA U-20 World Cup as they are up against Senegal in the continental tournament’s quarter-finals in Egypt.
The four semi-finalists in Egypt will seal their tickets to the World Cup scheduled for later in the year in Chile.
The standout clash of the quarter-finals is the one between seven-time champions Nigeria and holders Senegal, billed for Ismailia on Monday.
The Flying Eagles finished second in Group B unbeaten after a victory over Tunisia and draws with Morocco and Kenya.
The Flying Eagles’ campaign started brightly with a 1-0 win over Tunisia, but consequent results have raised concerns over their cutting edge.
Senegal, meanwhile, needed a final-day 2-0 victory over DR Congo to seal qualification as Group C runners-up.
After a shaky start of drawing with Central African Republic and losing 1-0 to Ghana, Senegal found their form just in time to overcome DR Congo.
They will now look to draw on the experience of 2023’s title-winning run to overcome Nigeria’s pedigree.
In other quarter-final clashes, Ghana, one of the tournament’s most consistent sides so far, will face hosts Egypt in Suez.
The opponents Egypt, however, have had a bumpy ride to the quarter-finals.
The Young Pharaohs opened with a win against South Africa but were stunned 4-1 by debutants Sierra Leone.
Despite a 0-0 draw with Zambia and a narrow 1-0 win over Tanzania, they squeezed through as one of the best third-placed teams.
Morocco remain one of the favourites for the title, having topped Group B unbeaten despite injuries to key players.
After edging Kenya 3-2 and drawing 0-0 with Nigeria, the Atlas Cubs sealed top spot with a commanding 3-1 win over Tunisia.
They now face tournament surprise Sierra Leone, whose fairytale run has seen them defeat hosts Egypt 4-1 before narrowly advancing from a tough Group A.
Completing the quarter-final line-up is South Africa against DR Congo, a tie between two sides that impressed in flashes but struggled with consistency.
Amajita finished top of Group A despite drawing with Egypt and Zambia and suffering a 1-0 loss to the hosts.
QUARTER-FINAL FIXTURES
South Africa vs DR Congo
Morocco vs Sierra Leone
Ghana vs Egypt
Nigeria vs Senegal
