Nigeria’s hopes of reclaiming the U-20 AFCON title came crashing down on Thursday as the Flying Eagles were edged 1-0 by South Africa’s Amajita in the semi-finals, Footynaija.com reports.
The loss was a bitter one, especially after the team’s strong run which included a tense quarter-final win over Senegal. But while many fans were left shocked, one analyst said he saw it coming.
In a post shared via Facebook, Nigerian sports analyst Ifeoluwa Leo-Olagbaye gave his honest reaction to the Flying Eagles’ semi-final exit, offering three clear reasons why he was not surprised by the result.
“They started referring to the South African U-20 team as their younger brothers,” he wrote.
“That was overconfidence and lack of respect. Win first and you earn the bragging rights.”
The Flying Eagles began the match in Ismailia with intent, creating several first-half chances through Kparobo Arierhi and Tahir Maigana. However, things began to unravel after goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt was forced off injured.
As pointed out in an earlier report by Footynaija.com, his replacement, Ajia Yakub, misjudged a cross that allowed Tylon Smith to score the decisive goal for South Africa.
Ifeoluwa believed that the team’s off-pitch conduct also raised red flags.
“They went online dancing to ‘Shake Body’ by Skales while preparing for the semi-final,” he noted.
“Even Lamine Yamal tried that dance before a Champions League semi-final, and his team also lost.”
The final point focused on the players’ mindset. According to Ifeoluwa, there was too much talk about winning the trophy even before clearing the semi-final hurdle.
“They forgot they had two matches to go. This was the same mistake the Super Eagles made at France 98 when they underestimated Denmark and got beaten 4-1. The lesson is clear — respect every opponent.”
The Flying Eagles, seven-time African champions, will now play in the third-place match against the loser of the Egypt versus Morocco clash.
Nigeria have already secured a spot at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, but the team will need to regroup fast if they want to finish on a high.
As Ifeoluwa concluded in his post:
“Hopefully the hard lessons are learnt and they win the bronze ‘consolation’ medal.”