Just as the Nigeria Flying Eagles are the record holders in winning the title at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, no team has won the third place more that the Nigerian side.

With their elimination on Thursday by South Africa from the final match, the Flying Eagles will be going for their fifth third place position. South Africa edged Nigeria 1-0 in a tense semi-final clash at the Suez Canal Stadium on.

A well-taken header by Tylon Smith in the 66th minute proved decisive in a fiercely contested match between two of Africa’s traditional football powerhouses.

The result also ends Nigeria’s hopes of winning a record-extending eighth U-20 AFCON title.

Nigeria, dominant for large spells in the second half, were made to rue missed opportunities, particularly in the final moments when South African goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe produced a string of saves to deny Emmanuel Chukwu and Israel Ayuma.

The match began cautiously, with both sides probing without creating clear-cut chances.

Nigeria’s Tahir Maigana and South Africa’s Kutlwano Letlhaku both had early efforts saved in a first half that ended goalless despite Nigeria’s superior attacking numbers.

The breakthrough came just after the hour mark. Neo Rapoo whipped in a corner from the right, and Smith rose highest to power home a header into the centre of the goal — his first of the tournament and arguably the most important yet for the Amajita.

Nigeria responded with urgency, making double substitutions in the 65th minute to inject pace and fresh energy into the attack.

Rickson Mendos and Bidemi Amole nearly made instant impacts, with both going close in a series of intense late assaults on the South African goal.

Ayuma had two excellent chances to level, including a diving header that was brilliantly saved by Lowe.

But South Africa’s resolute defending and composed midfield play saw them through, stretching their unbeaten run at the Suez Canal Stadium to four games.

The win sees South Africa reach their second U-20 AFCON final, their first since 1997 when they finished as runners-up.

For Nigeria, it marks a third consecutive semi-final defeat in the tournament, having previously fallen to Gambia (2023) and Mali (2019).

South Africa’s run to the final has been built on solid defence and efficiency in front of goal.

Thursday’s win also means they will head into the final with momentum, having now gone five matches unbeaten — their longest such streak in U-20 AFCON history.

With qualification to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup already secured, the Amajita will now turn their attention to winning their first continental title.

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The semi-final line-up for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 is set, with Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa emerging as the continent’s final four after navigating tough group stage campaigns and dramatic quarter-final battles.

Each side followed a distinct path to reach the last four of the prestigious youth tournament, booking not just semi-final spots but also their tickets to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

Here’s how each team travelled from the group stage to book their spot in the semi-finals:

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Egypt rise from group struggle to edge Ghana

Host nation Egypt endured a turbulent group stage in Group A. A 1-0 win over South Africa in the opening match was followed by a shock 4-1 loss to Sierra Leone.

They narrowly secured qualification as one of the best third-placed teams after a goalless draw with Tanzania.

In the quarter-finals, the young Pharaohs pulled off a dramatic comeback against Ghana, clawing back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2, before holding their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties.

Coach Osama Nabih described the moment as “the first part of our dream,” with the team now focused on going all the way.

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Morocco’s unbeaten run continues

Morocco topped Group B with an unbeaten run, defeating Kenya 3-2 and Tunisia 3-1, and holding Nigeria to a goalless draw.

The Atlas Lions impressed with their attacking depth and strong defensive record, conceding just three times in three matches.

Their quarter-final against Sierra Leone was a tense affair. With the match still goalless deep into extra time, Morocco were gifted a winner through an own goal by Amara Keita in the 115th minute.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised Sierra Leone as “a tough opponent” but stressed that Morocco “deserve to dream big.”

Nigeria show champion pedigree

The Flying Eagles were business-like in Group B, defeating Tunisia 1-0, drawing with Morocco, and playing out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Kenya to top the group.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles

Their quarter-final was a heavyweight clash with defending champions Senegal, where Nigeria kept their composure in a tense goalless draw that went to penalties.

A 3-1 win in the shootout marked Nigeria’s 14th qualification for a U-20 World Cup, further cementing their status as the most successful African team at this level.

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South Africa find rhythm at the right time

South Africa’s journey began with a gritty 1-0 win over Tanzania, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Egypt and a commanding 4-1 win over Sierra Leone in Group A.

Finishing top of the group, Amajita met DR Congo in the quarter-finals in a physically demanding match.

Shakeel April set up Thabang Mahlangu for the decisive extra-time winner, sending South Africa through to the semi-finals and the World Cup.

Semi-final Fixtures – Thursday, 15 May

• Nigeria vs South Africa – Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia (15:00 GMT)
• Morocco vs Egypt – 30 June Stadium, Cairo (18:00 GMT)

With a place in the final and a shot at continental glory at stake, these four African giants are now just one win away from the showpiece event.

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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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