MATCH FACTS: Nigeria face eliminated Kenya in final Group B game at TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON

Nigeria and Kenya will face off at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in their final Group B match at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday (kick-off time 18:00 local time / 15:00 GMT).

Nigeria needs just one point to progress and could top the group with a win – provided the other Group C match between Morocco and Tunisia ends in a draw or a Tunisia victory.

Nigeria’s most recent encounter with East African opposition was a 1-0 win over Uganda in the 2023 quarter-finals. Kenya, meanwhile, will be facing West African opponents for the first time at this stage of the competition.

Statistically, Nigeria has the lowest shot conversion rate in Group C at just 6.25%, while Kenya has a rate of 14.29% – the second highest in the group, behind Tunisia (17.65%).

In terms of defensive stats, Nigeria have won 27 tackles, while Kenya leads the group with 34. Nigeria have kept two clean sheets – the most in the group – while Kenya conceded six goals, three in each of their first two matches.

Kenya leads Group C in shots on target with 11, while Nigeria has managed just seven—tied for the fewest with Tunisia.

NIGERIA FACTS
·      Nigeria began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Tunisia and followed it with a goalless draw against Morocco.

·      They are aiming to reach the knockout stages for the ninth consecutive tournament in which they have participated. Since 1993, when the tournament adopted a single-format structure, Nigeria has progressed beyond the group stage ten times and been eliminated just twice (1993 and 2001).

·      Their record in final group matches since 1993 reads: Played 12, won 7, drew 2, lost 3. They have won their final group game in the last two editions they participated in and are unbeaten in their last six final group games (W5 D1). The only draw in this run came against Côte d’Ivoire in 2022.

·      Nigeria last lost their final group game in 2007, a 2-0 defeat to Cameroon. Despite the loss, they progressed as Group B runners-up behind Zambia.

·      If Nigeria draw 0-0 and qualify with only one goal scored, it would mark their lowest goal tally in the group stage since 2001 – though unlike that year, they would progress to the knockout stage.

·      If they avoid defeat, Nigeria will have completed the group stage unbeaten for the eighth time.

·      This is only the second time, after 2019, that Nigeria have kept clean sheets in both of their opening group games. In 2019, they also went through the entire group stage without conceding a goal.

·      Nigeria scored just one goal in their first two group matches. The last time they did this was in 2023, when they lost 1-0 to Senegal, beat Egypt 1-0, and then defeated Mozambique 2-0.

·      They are currently the lowest-scoring team in their group.

·      Daniel Barneyi had 75 touches against Morocco – the most by any player in that match.

·      Nigeria had three shots on target in the game against Morocco but failed to score.

·      Goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt has kept two clean sheets, making two saves (both in the opening match against Tunisia). He did not face a shot on target in the draw against Morocco.

·      Nigeria is one of only two teams yet to concede at the tournament, the other being Zambia, who have played one more game.

KENYA FACTS
·      Kenya lost both of their group matches – 3-2 to Morocco and 3-1 to Tunisia. They scored first in both games but failed to secure a win.

·      In the match against Tunisia, Lawrence Ouma opened the scoring in the 38th minute. Kenya then conceded in first-half stoppage time and twice in the final 20 minutes to lose 3-1.

·      Kenya conceded two goals in first-half stoppage time and three goals in the final 20 minutes across their two matches.

·      Ouma scored in both group games and is the only player – prior to Tuesday’s matches – to have scored in back-to-back games in this edition of the tournament. He is also the only player to have scored his team’s first goal in two matches.

·      Kenya have used two goalkeepers so far. Wyclifford Oduor started in the 3-1 loss to Tunisia, making three saves from five shots (save percentage: 40%). In the opening 3-2 loss to Morocco, Bernard Jairo was in goal and made six saves from nine shots (save percentage: 67%).