Rising Stars have exited the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations finals with their heads high after holding record champions Nigeria to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo. Having lost the first two Group B matches to Morocco and Tunisia, Stars had nothing but redemption at the back of their minds heading to the final clash with Nigeria. The team might not have won the match, but their resolve to secure a point and the fighting spirit on the pitch did not go unnoticed. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910044##First HalfOnce again, the Kenyan boys had a good start into the game, taking the lead in the fifth minute through skipper of the day Kevin Wangaya. The midfielder, who has been arguably Kenya’s best player in the tournament, converted from the spot after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) adjudged a Nigerian defender to have used his arm to block a shot from Lawrence Ouma. U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap taxis, unguarded ATMs and proper roads, the story of CairoInitially, the centre referee Shahenda Saad Ali Elmaghrabi had awarded a free kick at the edge of the box, his colleagues from the VAR room overruled her after a quick review of the incident. Wangaya, stepped up and placed the ball on the top left, sending Ebenezer Ifeanyi the wrong way to open his goal account in the tournament. Just like in the previous two group stage matches against Morocco and Tunisia, the lead did not last long as Nigeria leveled matters in the 12th minute through Kparobo Nathaniel Ariehi. U20 AFCON Diary: Cheap fuel in plenty as sanity reigns in Egyptian roadsLosing possession carelessly proved costly, as Nigerians a made quick overload on the right side with Ariehi placing at the right place to lob the ball past Wycliff Oduor. Three minutes after Nigeria drew level, play was halted following a clash of heads between Humphrey Obino and Clinton Degol as the pair contested for an aerial ball. Winger Ezekiah Omuri was one of the lively players in the closing stages of the half, with the Shabana man giving his marker Odinaka Emmanuel Okoro all soughts of trouble and dropped to bail Obino. Unlike in the last two matches, Stars did not show signs of capitulating after conceding as they matched the Flying Eagles until Elmaghrabi blasted the half time whistle.HT🇳🇬 1⃣-1⃣ 🇰🇪#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #RisingStars pic.twitter.com/dzEUOotg3M— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) May 7, 2025 Second HalfThe duo of William Gitamu and Andreas Odhiambo were introduced for Omuri and Mushindi before the final stanza got underway. Much as the rested players had a decent half on the pitch, a series of late challenges had earned them cautions and had further been warned verbally. The decision to withdraw Mushindi seemed to impact the team’s defensive shape as Nigerians made easy in roads to the Kenyan area and even managed to test Oduor twice in the first quarter. Kenya U20 striker reveals what Michael Olunga told him before start of U20 AFCONThe decision by the Kenyan bench to deploy defensive midfielder Irad Mushindi was felt in the half, as he worked hard to win possession and occasionally put his body on the line to stop Nigeria from taking the lead. Stars recovered from the rather sluggish start in the second half and would regain the lead in the 68th minute through Gitamu, who was at the right place to tap in Obino’s free kick. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8910168##Obino hit the free kick hard, finding Gitamu at the farthest corner, with the Bandari man making good connection with the ball for his first goal of the tournament. In yet another frustrating moment, Stars did not enjoy the lead for long as Nigeria came level in the 72nd minute through Daniel Bameyi. The centre back had a free hit from 12 yards after Lawrence Ouma brought Mendos Rickson down in the area in the full glare of Elmaghrabi. FTNigeria 🇳🇬 2⃣-2⃣ 🇰🇪 Kenya #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #RisingStars pic.twitter.com/bjIwBtR9GQ— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) May 7, 2025
