Cairo, Egypt — Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, will be without two vital players as they gear up for the third-place match against hosts Egypt in the ongoing 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This development was confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in an official statement released on Sunday via their X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to the statement, goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt and defender Odinaka Okoro have both been ruled out of the clash due to injury and suspension, respectively.
“Two Flying Eagles’ players are unavailable for Sunday’s third-place match against Egypt: first-choice goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt (injury) and defender Odinaka Okoro (suspension),” the NFF disclosed.
Harcourt sustained an injury during Nigeria’s semi-final encounter with South Africa’s Amajita, a match that ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for the Flying Eagles.
Meanwhile, Okoro’s absence stems from disciplinary action, having received a second consecutive yellow card during the same fixture, which triggered an automatic suspension.
Despite these setbacks, Coach Aliyu Zubairu’s squad remains determined to conclude their AFCON campaign on a positive note. The two teams previously faced off in a warm-up match before the tournament, with Nigeria edging the hosts 2-1.
The Flying Eagles, alongside Morocco, South Africa, and Egypt, have already secured qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup slated to take place later this year in Chile, having progressed to the semi-final stage of the continental tournament.
By Taiwo Olatinwo | May 18th, 2025.
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