African Championship Ends Early For Nigeria

By TAYO TAIWO (T. T.) OLUWOLE

Egypt Overpower Golden Arrows to Knock Nigeria Out of African Championship

NIGERIA’S Golden Arrows were eliminated from the 2026 African Championship on Wednesday following a dominant display by Egypt that brought their semi-final ambitions to an abrupt halt.

Nigeria had arrived at the knockout phase with confidence after an outstanding group-stage performance that saw them win all their matches. Their early dominance raised hopes of a title challenge and marked them out as one of the tournament’s most exciting teams.

Those expectations, however, quickly unraveled. A disappointing defeat to Angola dented Nigeria’s confidence, and the Golden Arrows were unable to recover when they faced Egypt in the classification round.

From the opening whistle, Egypt asserted their authority, pressing aggressively and forcing Nigeria into errors. The Golden Arrows struggled to match Egypt’s pace and physical intensity, allowing their opponents to seize control of the contest.

Egypt capitalised ruthlessly, opening up a significant lead before halftime and maintaining their dominance after the break. Nigeria’s attempts to rally were repeatedly thwarted by Egypt’s organised defence and swift counterattacks.

The match ended in a one-sided 48–22 victory for Egypt, a scoreline that reflected their superiority throughout the encounter. The result ended Nigeria’s African Championship journey and highlighted the sharp contrast between their group-stage brilliance and knockout-stage struggles.

While Egypt advanced and kept their semi-final aspirations alive, Nigeria must now settle for the classification games. The Golden Arrows will be eager to regroup, regain confidence, and salvage pride after a campaign that promised much but ultimately fell short when it mattered most.