NIGERIA’S U20 men’s national team, Flying Eagles began their campaign at the 13th edition African Games on an unimpressive note after losing 1-2 against Uganda.

The match was played at the Accra Sports Stadium in Ghana.

The Flying Eagles, who emerged as bronze medalists at the continental multi-sports event held in 2019 in Rabat, Morocco, conceded the first goal in the 33rd minute after kickoff.

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The Ugandans got the lead through a finish by Kiza Arafat Usama, inspiring confidence in the team.

But four minutes later, the Flying Eagles, led by Ladan Bosso, restored parity to level up in the 37th minute through Sadiq Muhammad Isiyaka.

The match ended 1-1 into the break.

The resumption of the second half saw both teams creating chances to double their lead.

The tenacity of the Ugandans paved the way for them as Ivan Irinmabozi’s long-range goal in the 81st minute sealed the victory for his country.

Earlier before the match, Senegal pipped Sudan, 1-0.

The other matches to be played on Friday, March 8 2024 will see the host nation Ghana lock horns against Congo while Gambia will slug it out against Benin Republic.

In football games, eight countries are participating in the competition. The country’s U20 men’s national teams include the hosts Ghana, Benin, Congo, Gambia, Senegal, South Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda.

Meanwhile, in the women category, there are six participating countries. They include the hosts Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

Ahead of the kick-off in the women’s category, Nigeria will face Morocco on Friday, March 8 at the Cape Coast stadium.

The Africa Games is a multi-sport event. It is usually organised by the African Union (AU), the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC), and the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA).