Nigeria’s quest to end a decade-long wait for U-20 AFCON glory may be thrown into uncertainty following a fierce protest from Senegal over Tunisia’s controversial entry into the tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.
Senegal, the reigning champions, have accused the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of violating its own statutes by approving Tunisia’s participation via an informal email vote — after Côte d’Ivoire withdrew as tournament hosts, according to Foot Afrique.
Tunisia neither qualified on merit nor earned automatic entry as hosts but were drafted into Group B at the last minute, joining Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has condemned CAF’s move as a “flagrant violation” of the governing body’s rules and principles of fair play.
In a strongly worded letter dated April 11, FSF warned that Tunisia’s inclusion threatens the integrity of the competition and undermines the efforts of nations that earned their places legitimately.
“This decision greatly harms teams that sportingly and legitimately earned the right to participate,” FSF wrote, adding that if Tunisia secures qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup, it could come at the expense of more deserving teams.
Nigeria, the most successful nation in U-20 AFCON history with seven titles, now face a significant group-stage challenge.
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Head coach Aliyu Zubairu’s Flying Eagles must navigate a path past North African giants Morocco and Tunisia, as well as debutants Kenya, to reach the knockout rounds.
With only the top two teams from each group advancing automatically, and four coveted FIFA U-20 World Cup spots at stake, Senegal’s protest could yet reshape Nigeria’s journey — especially if legal proceedings trigger a group reshuffle, disqualification, or even cancellation of fixtures.
Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles continue their preparations for the tournament. As part of their build-up, the Nigerian U-20 side will head to Egypt — the 2025 CAF U-20 African Nations Cup hosts — to finalize their training camp.
To enhance their title prospects, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved an early departure for the team, allowing them to arrive eight days before the competition begins, in a bid to fine-tune their mental and physical readiness.
The squad will leave Abuja for Egypt ahead of the biannual competition, which kicks off on April 27 and runs until May 18.
Following CAF’s revised group-stage draw, Nigeria will now face Morocco, Kenya, and Tunisia in Group B of the 24th edition of the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.
The tournament's semi-finalists will go on to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for September 27 to October 19.
U20 AFCON: Group stage
- GROUP A: Egypt, Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania
- GROUP B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Morocco
- GROUP C: Senegal, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ghana
