Nigeria’s U20 side, the Flying Eagles, secured a 2-1 victory over hosts Egypt in a pre-Africa U20 Cup of Nations (AFCON) friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.
Kparobo Arierhi, who netted three goals during Nigeria’s WAFU B U20 Championship title defence in October, including a brace in the final against Ghana, opened the scoring in the 10th minute.
The Nigerian forward latched onto a precise pass from Bidemi Amole to give Nigeria an early lead.
The Young Pharaohs levelled the scoreline in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but the Flying Eagles regained their advantage with seven minutes left. Precious Benjamin calmly slotted home from the penalty spot after Divine Oliseh was brought down in the box.
The seven-time African champions recorded the win less than 48 hours after arriving in Cairo for the 17th edition of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which kicks off on Sunday.
The Flying Eagles will begin their campaign in Group B against Tunisia on Thursday next week, followed by matches against Morocco and Kenya.
Meanwhile, hosts Egypt, who lead Group A, will kick off their tournament against South Africa on Sunday, with subsequent group stage encounters against Sierra Leone on April 30th, Zambia on May 3rd, and Tanzania on May 9th.
