Nigeria’s Flying Eagles held Morocco to a goalless draw on Sunday in a Group B fixture at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), improving their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
In a tightly contested encounter with near-even possession stats, Nigeria managed to earn a valuable point from the match.
Defender Daniel Bamenyi stood out with a commanding performance that earned him the Man of the Match award for his efforts in keeping Morocco at bay at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
Under the guidance of coach Aliyu Zubairu, Nigeria now has four points from two games, having earlier beaten Tunisia 1-0 in their tournament opener.
Meanwhile, in the group’s other match, Tunisia secured a 3-1 victory over Kenya, breathing life back into their campaign and moving up the standings.
With Morocco and Nigeria both sitting on four points, the North Africans top the group on goal difference. Tunisia trails in third, while Kenya remains bottom without a point.
Nigeria’s next fixture is against Kenya on Wednesday. A draw in that match would be enough to secure a place in the quarter-finals, regardless of the outcome of the simultaneous clash between Tunisia and Morocco.
What you should know
Daniel Bamenyi’s defensive brilliance was key in Nigeria’s goalless draw with Morocco. With one game left in the group stage, the Flying Eagles need just a point against Kenya to guarantee a spot in the U-20 AFCON quarter-finals.
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