Aliyu Zubairu has assured that the Nigeria U20 squad will be even better when they take on South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in the city of Ismailia on Thursday evening.

Pundits have praised the seven-time champions fordominating the tough quarter-final encounter against Senegal at the same venue on Monday, before sending the Cup holders out of the tournament after a 3-1 penalty shootout win.

“I believe we are going to have a great semi-final against the South Africans. I can guarantee that our approach will be much better, as the anxiety of whether we will earn a FIFA World Cup ticket is no longer there. It was a tense 120 minutes for us and the defending champions on Monday.

“We have the World Cup ticket now and are quite happy. Against South Africa, we will play with great determination and composure, as we aim for the trophy, but without the tense atmosphere around the last match. Of course, we know the little matter of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and what the game means, and we will go in there to do a real battle,” Head Coach Zubairu said on Tuesday.

The man who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win last year’s President Federation Cup competition believes his team has improved considerably since the first match against Tunisia on the first day of May.

“We can all see that the team has improved, and actually getting better with each match. We will go all out against the South Africans.”

Apart from their seven titles, Nigeria have also finished as runners-up on two occasions (1999 and 2007), and as bronze medallists on two other occasions as well (2009 and 2013).

To set up a clash with the most-decorated team in the competition’s history, the Amajita had to also endure a 120-minute affray against the Democratic Republic of Congo, also at the same Suez Canal Authority Stadium where the Flying Eagles upended Senegal’s expectations. They won their own game 1-0 after extra time.

Nigeria had collected four of her seven titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) before South Africa (isolated for decades) was assimilated back into global sport following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.  

Amajita’s first experience of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations was in 1997, and they finished as runners-up to hosts and winners Morocco. Nigeria did not qualify for the finals. Four years later, in Ethiopia, both Nigeria and South Africa finished bottom of their pool and exited at the group stage in what remains Nigeria’s worst outing ever in the history of the tournament.

In 2009, Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-1 for bronze, and four years later defeated Mali by the same margin to also pick up the bronze medals in Algeria.

As hosts in 2011, the Amajita crashed out at the group stage after winning one and losing two matches, while Nigeria roared to her sixth title with a 3-2 defeat of Cameroon in the final in Soweto.

In 2015, Nigeria grabbed her seventh title in Senegal, while South Africa’s campaign ran into the sands in the group stage after losses to Ghana and Mali. Eight years ago, Nigeria didn’t qualify for the competition when South Africa finished in fourth place.

In 2019, in Niger Republic, Nigeria defeated South Africa 5-3 after penalty shootout to win the bronzemedals, after both teams had tied scoreless in a group phase encounter.

In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time winners Egypt – conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana -will take on Morocco in Cairo.

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When Nigeria’s Flying Eagles and South Africa’s Amajita meet in a semi-final match for the African title at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismaila on Tuesday, it will be the fourth time both U20 sides have clashed.

In their previous three encounters, Nigeria claimed one victory in open play, South Africa won once on penalties, and the other match ended in a draw.

Their first meeting came in the 2009 third-place playoff, where Nigeria secured a 2-1 win.

George Maluleka opened the scoring for South Africa in the 8th minute, before Ibrahim Rabiu equalised in the 15th minute and Frank Temile netted the winner just before halftime.

In 2019, the teams met twice – once in the group stage and again in the third-place playoff. Both games ended 0-0, with South Africa winning the playoff 5-3 on penalties to take the bronze medal.

By reaching the semi-finals, South Africa have secured qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, marking their fifth appearance at the global finals.

For Nigeria, the Flying Eagles are almost like the North Star in the sky as they have persistently been qualifying for the World Cup.

This is Nigeria’s 17th appearance in the semi-finals of the African qualifiers. They are aiming for a record-extending 10th final and a first since 2015. They previously reached the final in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2015.

This will be South Africa’s first U-20 World Cup appearance in South America, having previously featured in editions hosted in Asia (Malaysia and South Korea), Africa (Egypt), and Europe (Poland).

After a 1-0 opening defeat to hosts Egypt, South Africa have gone unbeaten in four matches, winning three and drawing one.

That makes them a force to reckon with. Their three wins at this tournament represent their most in open play at a single edition.

While Nigeria are making their 17th appearance in the semi-finals, this is South Africa’s fifth appearance in the semi-finals.

 This will be South Africa’s fourth match at the Suez Canal Stadium in this tournament. They have a perfect record at the venue so far, beating Tanzania 1-0, Sierra Leone 4-1, and DR Congo 1-0.

The Nigeria Flying Eagles have conceded just two goals in four matches – the fewest among the semi-finalists – and kept three clean sheets, tied with Egypt for the most, despite having played one fewer game.

Their current streak of nine consecutive semi-final appearances is their best. Their previous best run was six consecutive appearances from 1979 to 1989, during which they won four titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989).

Since 2005, in a run of eight straight semi-final appearances, Nigeria have won four and lost four. In the last four semi-finals they won, they went on to win the title three times – in 2005, 2011, and 2015 – finishing runners-up in 2007.

 When the tournament has been held in North Africa, Nigeria have always reached the semi-finals.

However, they have managed just three goals en route to the semi-finals – their lowest ever tally to reach this stage. Despite having seven shots on target in their quarter-final against Senegal, they failed to score.

 Goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt made five saves against Senegal – his highest in a single game – and has kept three clean sheets, tied for the most with Egypt’s Abdel Monem Tamer and Zambia’s Levison Banda, both of whom have played an extra game.

This is Nigeria’s second match at the Suez Canal Stadium, following their quarter-final win over Senegal. Their three group stage matches were played in Cairo.

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The stage is set for a thrilling climax to the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, as Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa prepare for the semi-finals after dramatic quarter-final victories.  

Nigeria and South Africa will clash in one of the semi-finals on Thursday, while hosts Egypt will also face Morocco.

For Nigeria and South Africa, there is a revival of rivalry dating back to the early 1990s.

The South Africans’ enterprising style of play will be tested to the limit when they face Nigeria in a 4 pm Nigerian time kick-off.

All four semi-finalists have already secured qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. For Nigeria, the next target is to extend their record by winning the African title for the eighth time.

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