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  • 5/15/2025
Transcript
00:00the first the semi-finals the under 20 Africa Cup of Nations the 2025 edition
00:10here in Egypt South Africa against Nigeria the South Africans of course in
00:16their yellow and green kicking from right to left in the first half and
00:21Nigeria immediately down into the final third trying to feed the ball into the
00:25box and a friendly bounce there just evades Arie he kickoff Sun out now the
00:38Nigeria in behind opportunity knocks it ball cut across the six-yard box just
00:44behind the run of Arie he though that space they're leaving him behind well
00:51corner comes in and off the crossbar or the closest we've come to an opening goal
01:04coming in I'll tell you what bypasses the fullback over on that far side Smith
01:11having to come across the centre-back unable to prevent the cross coming in all
01:16just over the head of Arie he there but so minimal
01:33ball chipped in behind nice bit of checks but on there Arie he bursts onto it and then
01:38fires into the side netting kicks the ball away in frustration as well well that'll be a
01:45yellow card at senior level well here though lovely ball in behind using his
01:53strength and pace to get it there ahead of Nkwali it's not been quite a settle such a
02:00settled back for for South Africa changes flowing in
02:06half an hour in nil nil Nigeria very much on top though
02:23yeah
02:30well
02:32say the coach Aliyu Zubairu for Nigeria did say that you know the weight is off the
02:39south side now they've qualified for the World Cup that's the main thing they're
02:44looking for here is at least say wins a corner for Nigeria and around their own area as well
02:49corner comes into the back post Smith as well get a fingertip on that one it's made more saves than any
02:58other keeper in the tournament so far and then the touch from Chukwu goes over the crossbar
03:04Nigeria creating half chances at the moment
03:12Chukwu was the nearest man to getting his head on that he would have as well if it hadn't been for
03:21that bit of acro goes long out from the back
03:25ball well held up now South Africa can come forwards Rappu in space on this near side he's got three players to
03:34away mate in the middle ball comes in keep it beaten to it well Ebenezer Harcourt came
03:46just for once the long way out from the back sticking a little bit of space found in midfield and then Rappu
03:55curling this one in
03:58well I think the keeper's been caught on his arm by his own kit by his own captain I think
04:10now look out swinging corner just five yellow shirts to way mat in the area that's never going to be easy
04:17when there's eight defenders back now kakana South Africa keeping the ball well here in and around the
04:25area chance for a turn and shot he said the pass comes in
04:31Chukwu a quick Nigeria coming forwards again here trying to slide that ball in for the run of Magari
04:38the referee whistle hasn't gone and then Ariya he on the volley
04:44given no support by his teammates loses the ball and all of a sudden Nigeria
04:49on the attack again it deflects and just goes wide of the upright
04:54well I'd love to see a replay from just four players up
04:58it's not exactly ambitious this
05:02Jeff to winning the ball in the air Smith
05:04tries to head the ball back into the six-yard box so yeah
05:08the side flag stays down
05:10every time they play the ball out short they give possession back
05:14to Nigeria
05:16the ball is whipped in oh and just wide of the upright
05:20ambitious from Tahir Meghana
05:23this is better from South Africa suddenly moving the ball with a bit of pace now Repu oh and he's
05:29slashed at the cross
05:31that's the best build-up play we've seen all first half from South Africa
05:36the captain himself wasting it with an awful cross
05:43well the coulda should have won on Nigeria's part of the end should have been the first score
05:48of the game 45 minutes now 45 to go it is finalist
05:52Nigeria the most winning team in the history of the tournament South Africa haven't been in a final in a few years
05:59getting from left to right in this second half Nigeria
06:07long run up here from Makoro
06:08long throw too headed away from near the penalty spot
06:15Nigeria picking up the loose ball nice footwork from Ayuma lays the ball off shot chipped in but
06:20very least for South Africa now long ball over to that far side the defense kick
06:26whoa
06:28that's a little bit jittery at the back yeah
06:29Mol I think will probably
06:34play out on the left some defending to be done first though corner comes in headed away from the edge of the six yard box by Chukwu
06:40all floated into the back post the keeper doesn't get to it and there's the opener
06:49as your yak of the substitute keeper came for the ball didn't get that
06:54and it's tylon smith the center back
06:59steered his header goal was the keeper nowhere to be seen
07:03that goes down as a goalkeeping error i'm afraid and against the run of play
07:08throughout the match somehow south africa take the lead
07:14see how much it means to tylon smith his first goal of the competition well well
07:26can't help but wonder if that would have happened with ebenezer harcourt still out on the pitch or not
07:32corner came in headed away by chukwu
07:43and a high ball just floated to the back post the keeper tried coming miles got nowhere near the ball
07:50absolutely nowhere near
07:51and he had no need either there was a defender with smith there who left it because he gets a call from the keeper
08:00oh what are nigeria going to do now
08:08assist by the way for neo rapu oh and a chance for nigeria
08:25well they just made a couple of changes nigeria wonder about that the wisdom really
08:30of making those changes while defending a set piece it normally wouldn't really do that
08:37get the set piece out of the way first then make those changes
08:40nice ball inside the lobby now on that flag has stayed down here's erie he erie he can't get past
08:51smith then drags down the south african surely and that'll be a free kick for south africa
08:58here's the goal core goal score at smith
09:00back to low that's not the ball best of balls out he'll be coming back with interest in a moment and
09:08in the shot whiffling just past the upright from omar malanga using his physicality up top
09:14but now nigeria come forwards rickson
09:19swings the ball in oh it just evades too and here's the third with the shot driven wide by ibrahim
09:28set piece for south africa
09:30four players in the box goes long to the back post the keeper comes for it gets it the second attempt
09:36this time
09:40looking for options to move the ball quickly now
09:46benjamin wins the header smith just smashes it clear
09:52pretty much at that stage of the game now aren't we for south africa
09:56don't take any chances at the back and now
09:58benjamin has got him behind gets down to the byline cuts back puts the ball into the back post
10:03the header comes in beaten away by smith fired back in the shot blocked in the six yard box
10:10the shot came in from rickson i think at that far post and all of a sudden nigeria with their tails up
10:16another ball comes into the area and it's uh yuma always leaning back and not everyone but most nearly
10:24everyone forward here for nigeria ball comes in and it's flick just past the upright
10:31missed in the air by kakana that was a heavy touch to say the least from rickson
10:38now the wall goes long again but it's too late and south africa remarkably have won the first of the
10:46the semi-finals of this year so for the first time since 1997 south africa will go to the final
10:56of the under 20 africa cup of nations they might just play against the team that beat them
11:04so

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