Nigeria were held to a goalless draw by Morocco in a tense Group B encounter at the ongoing CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo on Sunday.
In a contest that revived memories of their dramatic 2005 semi-final duel, which Nigeria edged on penalties after a 2-2 draw, both sides battled intensely but lacked the clinical edge in front of goal to make a decisive impact.
The fixture marked Nigeria’s 99th appearance in the history of the U-20 AFCON, and despite dominant spells during the game, the Flying Eagles were unable to secure what would have been their 57th win in the competition.
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Having begun their campaign with a 1-0 win over Tunisia, Aliyu Zubairu’s team aimed to record back-to-back wins for the first time since 2015. However, Morocco proved a more resilient opponent, successfully neutralising Nigeria’s attacking threats.
Israel Ayuma, Divine Oliseh, and Emmanuel Chukwu came closest to breaking the deadlock for Nigeria, but their attempts lacked precision, with Ayuma’s effort flying wide in added time and Chukwu’s header earlier in the first half sailing over.
There were a flurry of bookings, as the game became increasingly scrappy. Nigeria’s Rickson Mendos and Clinton Jephta were cautioned for rough challenges, while Morocco’s Hossam Essadak and Hamza Koutoune also found themselves in the referee’s book.
Despite the draw, Nigeria maintained their strong record in second group games, extending their unbeaten run in such fixtures to five (W3 D2), with their last defeat in a second group match dating back to 2011 against Cameroon.
The result leaves Group B delicately poised, with both teams still in contention for a place in the knockout stage as they head into the final round of matches, both levelled on four points, one ahead of Tunisia in third.
Curtains will drop on Group B with the Flying Eagles facing bottom Kenya who are yet to earn a point at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo while the Moroccans face Tunisia in a winners-take-all encounter simultaneously at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia on Wednesday.
