U20 FOOTBALL
Tunisia revive U-20 AFCON hopes after comeback win over Kenya
Tunisia came from behind to claim a much-needed 3-1 victory over Kenya in their second Group B match at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025, on Sunday at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo.
After a narrow opening-day defeat to Nigeria, Tunisia entered the match desperate to avoid a second successive loss. Their response was emphatic in the second half, as goals from Omar Ben Ali and Alaeddine Derbali secured all three points for the North Africans.
Kenya had struck first in a lively encounter. Lawrence Ouma gave the East Africans a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, pouncing from close range after a smart assist by Hassan Beja. It was a reward for a bright first-half showing by Kenya, who had also impressed in their opening 3-2 defeat to Morocco.
However, Tunisia found a route back into the game just before half-time through a penalty converted by Farès Bousnina, following a VAR review for handball by Baron Ochieng in the box. The equaliser shifted momentum in Tunisia’s favour going into the break.
The Carthage Eagles emerged dominant after the restart. They introduced substitutes Omar Ben Ali and Alaeddine Derbali, who made an immediate impact. Ben Ali made it 2-1 in the 70th minute with a composed finish from close range after persistent attacking pressure.
Derbali then sealed the victory five minutes from time with a spectacular long-range strike that flew into the top corner, capping a confident second-half performance from Tunisia and ending a four-match winless run at the finals.
Kenya, who had started the match with attacking flair, faded as the second half progressed and were unable to replicate their early energy. They remain without a point from two matches and now face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.
Tunisia’s win lifts them to three points in Group B ahead of the crucial clash between Nigeria and Morocco later tonight, with all four teams still in contention.
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There are injury concerns in the Moroccan team facing the Nigeria Flying Eagles this Sunday night. But the Moroccan coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, said there will be no problem in replacing players who are on the bench due to injuries ahead of an important match with Nigeria.
On Saturday, the coach said that the team can compensate for the absence of injured Atlas Lions like Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Mohamed Yassir Zabiri.
Ouahbi also said that all players are fully ready for the match, noting that the two injured players will be rested in preparation for other matches as part of the ongoing tournament.
“We will have no difficulty finding replacements for the injured players, and I’m reassured in that regard because we have good players capable of performing at any stage of this AFCON,” the coach said.
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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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