Nigeria’s hopes of clinching an eighth U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title came crashing down after a narrow 1-0 loss to South Africa in the semi-final at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia.
Fresh off a dramatic quarter-final win over defending champions Senegal, the Flying Eagles entered the tie full of belief.
But despite dominating much of the first half, they failed to convert any of their 10 attempts, with Kparobo Arierhi rattling the bar and Tahir Maigana firing narrowly wide.
The decisive moment came in the 69th minute, when a defensive lapse allowed Tylon Smith to head home for the Amajita following a goalkeeping error by Ajia Yakub, who had earlier replaced the injured Ebenezer Harcourt.
Aliyu Zubairu’s side pressed for a leveller, but the South Africans held firm to reach their first-ever final, while Nigeria will now settle for a third-place playoff.
Midfielder Odinaka Okoro will miss that tie due to suspension after picking up a booking in the defeat.
