Nigeria’s Flying Eagles celebrated their 100th match in the 2025 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-2 draw against Kenya.

The match, which took place in Cairo on Wednesday, helped the Flying Eagles secure a second place in Group B and qualify them for the quarter-finals.

During the under-20 AFCON encounter, Kenya made the game very challenging for the Flying Eagles as they had to fight back after trailing twice.

The contest started with excitement when Kenya surprised Nigeria in the sixth minute, with Kévin Injehu converting a penalty awarded after Emmanuel Chukwu was penalized for a handball.

Although this early setback momentarily rattled the Flying Eagles, they quickly regained their composure. Just seven minutes later, Kparobo Arierhi leveled the score with a well-timed finish after receiving a precise through ball from Simon Cletus.

The first half featured a competitive exchange, with both teams creating opportunities. Nigeria’s goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu made impressive saves to deny Aldrine Kibet on two occasions, while Ezekiel Kpangu’s shot at the other end was thwarted in added time.

After the halftime break, tactical adjustments were made by both teams to take control. Kenya reclaimed the lead in the 68th minute through substitute William Gitama, who scored from close range following a clever delivery from Humphrey Obina.

Nigeria responded almost immediately; Rickson Mendos was fouled in the box just four minutes later, enabling captain Daniel Bameyi to convert the penalty and equalize at 2-2.

In the final stages, Nigeria maintained relentless pressure, exhibiting strong ball possession and creating several scoring opportunities.

Despite several attempts from Divine Oliseh, Tahir Maigana, and Mendos, they were unable to find the back of the net, largely due to Kenyan goalkeeper Andres Omondi’s impressive performance.

The draw ultimately allowed Nigeria to finish second in Group B with five points, just behind Morocco, who topped the table with seven points following a 3-1 victory over Tunisia.