Sports

CAF U20 Boys: Nigeria Beat Tunisia 1-0 in Group B Opener

Published

5 months ago

May 1, 2025

The Nigerian Flying Eagles this evening at the 30 June Stadium, Cairo Egypt piped the Junior Carthage Eagles of Tunisia by a lone goal at the CAF U20 Group B opener before a capacity crowd of 30,000 fans.

Akwa Ibom FC Mid fielder, Auwal Ibrahim got a thorough pass from his defender in the Eagles team, Odinaka Okoro in the 38th minute to register the lone goal.

The Flying Eagles did not bubble at all playing far from expectation as stats records were close with 10-8 shots at goal to Nigeria; 4-2 on target; 56-49% ball possession showing that Nigeria did not really control the match especially conceding 3-6 corner kicks to Tunisia showing pressure was on the Nigerian defence. Nigeria had 15 foul calls to Tunisia’s 18 meaning Nigeria is equally a rough team that shared 3-3 yellow cards in the game.

Morocco and Kenya are meeting later today in the other Group B Opener.

Nigeria and Tunisia actually met once and it was at the AFCON Youth championship where Nigeria on 10th March 2023 blasted Tunisia 4-0 with 1-0 at half time.

Scorers then were Ibrahim Muhammed at the 9th minute; Ahmed Abdullah at the 46th minute; Jude Sunday scored the 3rd goal in the 49th minute and also netted the 4th goal in the 90th minute.

Nigeria is the most successful Youth team in Africa having won the title a record 7 times in 1983; 1985; 1987; 1989;(four times consecutively) 2005; 2011 and 2015.

Two countries won 4 times each namely hosts Egypt in 1981; 1991; 2003 and 2013 while Ghana won in 1993; 1999;2009 and 2021.

Defending champions Senegal that won in 2023 leads the pack of nations that won only once. Others are Mali-2019; Zambia-2017; Congo-2007; Angola-2001; Cameroon-1995 and Algeria-1979.

Last five matches of Nigeria were a 2-3 loss to Senegal on 15th March 2024; Goalless draw with Burkina Faso on 18th October 2024; a 2-0 victory over Ivory Coast on 24th October 2024; another 3-1 victory over Niger Republic on 27th October 2024 and beating Ghana at their backyard 2-1 on 30th October 2024 all in the CAF qualifier.

Tunisia beat Algeria 3-0 in a friendly on 9th September 2024; beat Libya 2-1away on 14th November 2024; lost to Morocco on 17th November 2024 at home; clipped Algeria 2-1 on 23rd November 2024 and on 26th November 2024 lost to Egypt by a lone goal.

Nigeria will be playing Morocco next on Sunday at 7pm same day Tunisia will face Kenya and the last group match is scheduled for next Wednesday when Nigeria tackles Kenya at 4pm same time Tunisia will square up with Morocco.

Group A that has five teams saw Sierra Leone beat hosts Egypt 4-1 on Sunday; South Africa piped Tanzania by a lone goal; also in that Group; Zambia drew goalless with Sierra Leone and Egypt beat South Africa by a lone goal

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Sports

FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification

Published

10 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums

Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.

Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.

In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”

He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.

“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”

Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT

Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.

“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.

Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.

“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”

The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.

He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development

As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.

“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”

Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.

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