President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Flying Eagles for their spirited performance at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite their 1-0 semi-final loss to South Africa on Thursday night.
Nigeria dominated proceedings with 53% possession and 20 goal attempts, but a goalkeeping error handed South Africa the decisive goal that ended the Eagles’ hopes of lifting the continental title.
Still, the team’s run in the tournament secured them qualification to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, a feat President Tinubu acknowledged and praised in a message shared on social media.
“I congratulate our U20 men’s football team, the Flying Eagles, for their terrific run at the AFCON U20 2025 tournament in Egypt and qualifying for the FIFA U20 World Cup later this year in Chile,” he wrote.
“You did Nigeria proud despite tonight’s semi-final loss! Keep your head up.”
The Flying Eagles will now shift focus to preparing for the World Cup, aiming to build on their AFCON form on the global stage.
