Egypt 2023: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles back on track for World Cup ticket
Seven-time champions Nigeria’s Flying Eagles steered their campaign back on the rails after defender Solomon Agbalaka’s 71st minute header collected all three points from host nation Egypt at the Cairo International Stadium on Wednesday night.
🇳🇬 Redemption for the Flying Eagles 🦅
#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 | @NGSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/ncK1LgEbj2— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) February 22, 2023
The defender met Muhammad Aminu’s corner kick with a bullet header that Egypt’s goalkeeper Mostafa Amin could do nothing about, and it is the host nation that now faces the stark possibility of elimination from the 23rd Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Congratulations Solomon Agbalaka, our #NGAEGY TotalEnergies Man of the Match! 🏅🔝#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/0hYI5p7vlF
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) February 22, 2023
After Nigeria lost her opening game by a lone goal to Senegal and the host nation could only putter to a scoreless draw against Mozambique, it was a given that both teams would tear at each other from the beginning. The hosts mounted the highest pressure in the first quarter-hour but shot wide when presented with the opportunity to nick it.
Amin saved twice from Ibrahim Muhammad in the 28th minute but at the other end, eight minutes later, Abdelrahman El Sayed again blasted wide in front of Chijioke Aniagboso.
FULL-TIME! ⏰
Nigeria earn their first victory in the #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 after beating Egypt 🦅 pic.twitter.com/nm0gO08KrX
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) February 22, 2023
Aniagboso did a tidy job throughout, including saving point-blank shots on two occasions in a ferocious second half.
Eight minutes after the restart, Ahmed Belasi could have put the North Africans ahead, but his header went wide with the goal begging. Ten minutes later, Aniagboso kept his calm to deny Rafaat Bayoumi, and two minutes later, Ibrahim Muhammad could have shot Nigeria ahead with a flash shot from the edge of the box that went narrowly wide.
Flying Eagles XI vs #Egypt U20 #SoarFlyingEagles #EGYNGA pic.twitter.com/rBlOKmQFVD
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) February 22, 2023
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Aniagboso again came up big for Nigeria in the 66th minute, with substitute Omar El Saei confident he was on to a great thing.
Five minutes later, Agbalaka’s bullet header put Nigeria in front, and despite opportunities for both teams afterwards, the scoreline remained unchanged.