Morocco Under-20 completed an unbeaten group campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over North African rivals Tunisia at the Suez Canal Stadium, securing top spot in Group B of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2025.

Ayman Arguigue’s first-half strike set the tone for the young Atlas Lions before late goals from Smail Bakhty and substitute Jones El Abdellaoui sealed the three points.

Tunisia briefly threatened a comeback when Anis Doubal equalised early in the second half, but they ultimately fell short and now face an anxious wait to see if they progress as one of the best third-placed teams.

The clash was billed as a winner-takes-all affair with both sides in contention for a knockout spot, depending on the result of the simultaneous fixture between Nigeria and Kenya, which ended 2-2.

That result meant Morocco’s win guaranteed them top place with seven points, while Nigeria finished second with five.

Morocco started the brighter of the two sides, probing Tunisia’s backline with pace and purpose.

Their early pressure was rewarded just before half-time when Arguigue swept home a well-crafted move in the 44th minute, assisted by a pinpoint cross from Zahouani.

Tunisia responded positively after the break and found a lifeline in the 53rd minute when Doubal rifled home from range to level matters.

But Morocco’s resilience showed. A spell of sustained pressure paid off in the 86th minute when Bakhty reacted quickest in a goalmouth scramble to restore the lead.

Substitute El Abdellaoui put the game beyond doubt in stoppage time, capitalising on a swift counterattack to finish neatly past the Tunisian keeper.

It was a deserved win for a Moroccan side who finish the group stage unbeaten, with their strong defensive unit and clinical forward line proving decisive. They’ve now gone nine group-stage matches without defeat in the competition.

For Tunisia, it’s another missed opportunity. Despite flashes of quality, their defensive frailties and inconsistent form see them end third in the group on three points, with a negative goal difference.

They will now hope to qualify for the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-placed teams, but the heavy nature of this defeat may prove costly.

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South Africa showcased their attacking prowess with a commanding 4-1 win over Sierra Leone in a TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Group A tie on Tuesday evening in Ismaila.

The match commenced with South Africa asserting early dominance as they looked to grab the early lead. 

Jody Ahshene opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a precise right-footed shot from outside the box, following a well-timed assist from Shakeel April. 

Despite Sierra Leone’s efforts to respond, the first half concluded with South Africa leading 1-0, who were disciplined in their defence.

The second half saw Amajita intensify their offensive efforts. 

Neo Rapoo doubled the lead on the hour mark, capitalising on a swift counter-attack initiated by Jody Ahshene. 

Sierra Leone managed to reduce the deficit in the 69th minute when Momoh Kamara found the back of the net after a cross from Osman Kamara in a goal that brough back confidence to his side.

However, South Africa regained control, with substitute Thabang Mahlangu making a significant impact. 

Mahlangu netted twice in quick succession—first in the 86th minute, assisted by Neo Rapoo, and again in the 89th minute, following a set-piece situation involving Patrick Autata—sealing a comprehensive victory for the South Africans.

The victory puts South Africa second behind Sierra Leone, who remain top of Group A despite their disappointing loss.

U-20 AFCON action continues on Wednesday with Nigeria taking on Kenya, while Tunisia takes on Morocco, with both matches promising to produce fireworks.

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Kenya’s Rising Stars are right in the firing line as seven-time champions and two-time runners-up Nigeria are determined to celebrate their 100^th match of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations with a win in downtown Cairo on Wednesday evening.

The clash, one of the closing games of group B of the ongoing CAF U20 Championship and which is scheduled to kick off 4 pm Nigeria time, is on different gradients for both teams, with the Kenyans in need of a handsome win to stand a chance of progressing to the quarter finals while the Flying Eagles only require a draw.

Nigeria’s scorer, Auwal Ibrahim, flies past two Tunisian opponents.

Second-placed Nigeria, on four points, will reach the last eight of the competition if they secure a draw (which will take their haul to five, and spring them to the next round irrespective of the result in the clash between first-placed Morocco and third-placed Tunisia).

A win for Morocco will take them to seven points, and keep three-point Tunisia in third place, while a draw earns Morocco a total of five points from their three matches and keeps Tunisia at four. A win for Tunisia will take the Junior Carthage Eagles to six points and drag the Lion Cubs to third place.

With 19 teams involved in the tournament, and teams drawn into three pools, the top two teams in each group, alongside the best two third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals.

Despite their promise, the Rising Stars have failed to light up Cairo, losing a five-goal thriller to Morocco on the opening day and failing to deliver in the 1-3 loss to Tunisia on Sunday.

Getting a win against Nigeria will be huge for the Kenyans, who have struggled badly over the decades against Nigeria’s opposition on the field of play.

Their first three encounters, between 1968 and 1991, were friendly matches, with Nigeria winning twice in Nairobi and the other match (also in Nairobi) ending in a 1-1 draw.

In a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Nairobi in April 1985, goals by Fatai Amao and Rashidi Yekini, and a Hussein Khari own goal, gave Nigeria a 3-0 win. In the return leg in Lagos, Yekini and Dr Joe Masiga each scored a magnificent goal, but Dahiru Sadi and Yisa Sofoluwe added to Nigeria’s tally for a 3-1 win.

Nigeria won 3-0 and 2-1 in 1988 and 1992 AFCON group phase matches, respectively, and in a 1998 World Cup qualifying fixture, both teams drew 1-1 in Nairobi before Nigeria triumphed 3-0 in Lagos to qualify for France 1998.

Nigeria won friendly matches in 2002, 2007 and 2011, and also beat the Kenyans home (3-0) and away (3-2) to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

In 2013, a 1-1 draw in Calabar and a 1-0 win in Nairobi in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers confirmed Nigeria’s undoubted superiority.

 In qualifying matches for the 1996 Olympic Games, both teams played a 1-1 draw in Nigeria, but the Dream Team defeated their hosts 3-0 in Mombasa.

The Flying Eagles will be determined to underscore this superiority on Wednesday, to pop champagne in what will be their 100^th match of the tournament and also stand a chance of finishing as group B winners.

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