By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s U20 men’s national team are set to mark a historic milestone as they prepare to play their 100th match when they face their Kenyan counterparts in their final group-stage encounter at the ongoing CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.
The clash, scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. Nigeria time, holds different stakes for both teams. While the Kenyans need a convincing win to stand a chance of advancing to the quarter-finals, the Flying Eagles require only a draw.
Final Group Permutations
Second-placed Nigeria, popularly known as the Flying Eagles, are on four points and will qualify for the last eight if they manage a draw, taking them to five points and securing advancement regardless of the outcome between first-placed Morocco and third-placed Tunisia.
A win for Morocco will take them to seven points, leaving Tunisia in third place with three. A draw will see Morocco finish with five points and Tunisia with four.
However, a win for Tunisia will push them to six points and drop the Lion Cubs to third place.
With 19 teams competing in the tournament and drawn into three pools, the top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals.
Despite early promise, Kenya, also known as the Rising Stars, have failed to impress in Cairo, losing a five-goal thriller to Morocco on opening day and falling 1-3 to Tunisia on Sunday.
Two Nations, One Ahead
A win against Nigeria would be monumental for the Kenyans, who have historically struggled against Nigerian opposition on the field.
Their first three encounters, between 1968 and 1991, were friendlies, with Nigeria winning twice in Nairobi and the third ending in a 1-1 draw. In a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier in April 1985, goals from Fatai Amao, Rashidi Yekini, and an own goal by Hussein Khari gave Nigeria a 3-0 win in Nairobi. In the return leg in Lagos, Yekini and Dr Joe Masiga scored, with Dahiru Sadi and Yisa Sofoluwe also on target in a 3-1 win.
Nigeria also recorded a 3-0 and 2-1 win over Kenya in the 1988 and 1992 AFCON group-stage matches respectively. In a 1998 World Cup qualifier, the teams drew 1-1 in Nairobi before Nigeria won 3-0 in Lagos to book a spot at France ’98. Nigeria secured friendly victories in 2002, 2007, and 2011, and defeated Kenya home (3-0) and away (3-2) to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In 2013, a 1-1 draw in Calabar and a 1-0 win in Nairobi during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers further confirmed Nigeria’s dominance. During qualification for the 1996 Olympic Games, both sides drew 1-1 in Nigeria before the Dream Team crushed their hosts 3-0 in Mombasa.
