Flying Eagles captain, Daniel Bameyi, is confident his team will give their all to secure a win over Kenya in their final group match at the Africa U-20 AFCON in Egypt on Wednesday. The 19-year-old defender, who was named Player of the Match in their previous game — a goalless draw with Morocco — emphasized that the Flying Eagles cannot afford to take anything for granted as they battle for a spot in the quarter-finals. This match will also mark Nigeria’s 100th game in the competition.

Bameyi stressed the importance of the upcoming clash, saying, “No compromise. As I always tell my colleagues, there’s no joking here. Yes, it’s business, and we will come out with all we have for the next match because we want to top the group.”

He also expressed gratitude towards the Nigerian supporters, adding, “We appreciate all Nigerians. Our fathers, our mothers, brothers and sisters. We thank them for the prayers, but it’s not over until it’s over. So, we ask that you keep praying for us and keep supporting us.”

Following their goalless draw against Morocco, Nigeria sits second in the group, level on points with Morocco (four points), but separated by goal difference. Tunisia, with three points, could challenge for a place in the top two if they defeat Morocco in their own match this midweek.

Reflecting on the Morocco draw, Bameyi said, “We believed that we would win the match, and we really wanted to. We needed to win because we wanted to get the qualification early. All the same, it was a good game, and we thank God for how it went.”

Should the Flying Eagles progress from the group stage, their goal will be to secure a semi-final spot, which would guarantee a ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile later this year. Nigeria has a proud history in the U-20 AFCON, having won the title seven times (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015) and finishing as runners-up twice.