Nigeria’s Flying Eagles win first award at the 2023 AFCON U-20

The seven-time African champions have a quarterfinal date with Uganda on Thursday but have something to celebrate before that

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has named Nigeria’s Flying Eagles as the winner of the Group Stage Fair Play award at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Egypt.

CAF’s Technical Study Group of the tournament rated the Flying Eagles above all other teams in Egypt for showing “professionalism, dedication, passion, and discipline in the group stage of the 23rd edition of the biennial tournament.”

Nigeria lost their opening match at the 2023 AFCON to Senegal, but the beaten Ladan Bosso’s boys were seen congratulating the Young Lions of Teranga after the encounter, thereby showing a high sense of sportsmanship.

The Flying Eagles bounced back on matchday two to stun hosts Egypt 1-0 courtesy of Solomon Agbalaka’s bullet header.

The seven-time champions then sealed their place in the competition’s quarterfinals following their impressive 2-0 victory over Mozambique in their last Group A match.

In the quarter-finals, the Flying Eagles will trade tackles with Uganda after the East Africans finished top of Group B.

The winner of that fixture will book a place in the semifinal of the AFCON and also in the group stage of the FIFA U-20 World Cup later in the year.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Solomon Agbalaka has been included in CAF’s best eleven of the Group Stage following his brilliant performances.

The young defender scored the Flying Eagles’ winner against Egypt’s Young Pharaohs, and he provided an assist in the comfortable win over Mozambique’s Mambas.