The Flying Eagles of Nigeria are a step towards their milestone 100th match in the history of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations as they confront Morocco this Sunday night.

Two decades after their first and only previous encounter at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco and Nigeria will face off once again in their second Group B match in Cairo on Sunday (kick-off 21:00 local time / 18:00 GMT).

The two teams last met in the semi-finals of the 2005 tournament, playing to a thrilling 2-2 draw before Nigeria triumphed 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

In that match, Mouhssine Iajour gave Morocco an early lead in the 11th minute. Solomon Okoronkwo equalised for Nigeria in the 53rd minute, but Iajour struck again in the 101st minute.

Victor Obinna then levelled the score for Nigeria in the 114th minute, forcing penalties, where Nigeria ultimately emerged victorious.

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Tunisia and Kenya will face each other for the first time when they meet in a Group B fixture at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cairo on Sunday (kick-off: 18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT).

Both teams are desperate for a win after losing their opening matches – Tunisia fell 1-0 to Nigeria, while Kenya were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Morocco.

Tunisia’s most recent encounter with East African opposition ended in a 4-1 defeat to Uganda in the 2021 semi-finals, marking their heaviest loss in the history of the competition.

Kenya, meanwhile, will be facing North African opposition for the second consecutive match, following their 3-2 loss to Morocco in their tournament opener.

TUNISIA FACTS
·       Tunisia began their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria. Notably, they have now lost their opening match in the last two editions of the tournament, having also been beaten by Gambia at the start of the 2023 finals.

·       The Tunisians are winless in their last four matches at the finals, with three consecutive defeats following a draw. They have also failed to score in their last three games and have gone 271 minutes without a goal. Their last goal came in the quarter-finals of the 2023 tournament, during a 3-3 draw with Congo, which they eventually won on penalties.

·       In their last seven matches at the finals, Tunisia have failed to score in five, netting just four goals – three of which came in that dramatic draw against Congo.

·       Across the 2021, 2023, and current editions of the tournament, Tunisia have recorded only two wins in 13 matches in open play – against Namibia in their second group game in 2021 and against Zambia in their final group game in 2023 (D5 L6).

·       Historically, Tunisia have never lost their second group game. In 2021, they followed a draw against Burkina Faso with a 2-0 win over Namibia. In 2023, after losing to Gambia, they drew 0-0 with Benin.

·       In the tournament’s current format, Tunisia have never started with two successive losses. The only time they failed to win either of their opening group games was in 2023.

KENYA FACTS
·       Kenya opened their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Morocco, despite taking the lead in the 16th minute through Lawrence Ouma.

·       Dating back to their debut match in 1979 against Ethiopia, all three of Kenya’s games at the finals have ended with a winner.

·       Kenya’s three tournament matches have produced a total of 11 goals – they have scored four and conceded seven.

·       In their match against Morocco, Kenya had just 38.4% possession but managed to register seven shots on target. Hassan Beja led the way with three shots on target.

·       Baron Ochieng had the most touches for Kenya in that match with 50.

·       Kenya’s goalkeeper, Bernard Jairo, faced nine shots on target and made six saves, recording a 66.7% save success rate.

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Morocco got their U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025, campaign off to a winning start with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Kenya in Group B on Thursday night at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

The North Africans had to come from behind twice before securing the win in a pulsating contest that swung from end to end and showcased the raw intensity of youth football on the continent.

Kenya, making their first appearance at the U20 AFCON since 1979, began the match brightly and were rewarded in the 16th minute when Lawrence Ouma rose highest to head home Kevin Injehu’s pinpoint free kick, sending the Kenyan bench into wild celebrations.

However, Morocco struck back just before the break. A scramble in the box saw Yassir Zabiri pounce with a well-placed finish that was eventually confirmed by VAR after initial doubts over a potential infringement. The equaliser sent the teams into halftime level at 1-1.

The second half brought even more drama. Just ten minutes after the restart, Zabiri doubled his tally with a sharp header from close range to give Morocco the lead.

But the Kenyans weren’t done yet. Their vibrant forward play paid off in the 71st minute when Hassan Beja rifled in a shot from the centre of the box following clever link-up play with Aldrine Kibet, levelling the scores at 2-2.

Morocco, unfazed, kept pressing and reclaimed the lead in the 78th minute. Reda Laalaoui latched onto a clever pass from Saad El Haddad and slotted past the keeper with composure to make it 3-2.

There was late drama when Morocco were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute, but Othmane Maamma’s effort was saved by Kenyan keeper Baron Ochieng to keep hopes alive.

Kenya pushed for a third equaliser and came agonisingly close in stoppage time when Aldrine Kibet’s header struck the post. But Morocco held on for three crucial points to go top of the group after Matchday 1.

For Kenya, there were plenty of positives to take despite the defeat, particularly in attack, where they showed fearlessness and creativity.

Morocco, meanwhile, showed composure and experience in key moments and will be confident going into their next match.

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