Nigeria’s Flying Eagles recorded a 2-1 win over Egypt’s Young Pharaohs in an international friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday, as both teams finalise preparations for the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.
Forward Kparobo Arierhi, who starred in Nigeria’s successful WAFU B title defence in October, opened the scoring in the 10th minute after a well-weighted pass from Bidemi Amole. The Young Pharaohs responded midway through the second half through Ahmed Kaabaka, who capitalised on a rare lapse in Nigeria’s defence to draw the hosts level in the 65th minute.
However, Nigeria restored their lead in the 83rd minute when Precious Benjamin calmly converted a penalty following a foul on Divine Oliseh inside the box.
The win serves as a confidence boost for the seven-time African champions, who arrived in Cairo less than 48 hours before the fixture and now turn their attention to the tournament proper, which begins on Sunday.
The Flying Eagles will begin their Group B campaign against Tunisia next Thursday, followed by fixtures against Morocco and Kenya. Hosts Egypt, placed in Group A, will open their account against South Africa before facing Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Tanzania.