Despite showing promise and holding Nigeria to a draw, Kenya finished bottom of Group 'B' with one point, following losses in their previous matches to Morocco (3-2) and Tunisia (3-1).

This marked Kenya’s second appearance in the tournament—now officially branded as U20 Afcon—since their debut in 1979, where they were eliminated in the preliminary round by Ethiopia. Since then, the team has struggled to qualify for the finals despite several attempts.

Kenya took an early lead in the sixth minute through a penalty converted by captain Kevin Wangaya. However, Nigeria’s Nathaniel Arierhi equalized seven minutes later with a goal from inside the box.

In the second half, William Gitamu restored Kenya’s lead in the 68th minute, but Nigeria responded just five minutes later, leveling the score through a penalty by Daniel Bameyi.

Kenya's assistant coach Anthony Akhulia congratulated the team and emphasised the importance of the tournament in shaping the players’ development.

“For the players, this is a tournament that has brought experience, and as the technical bench, we know we need to up our game,” he said.

“It’s the first time this team has participated in a match of this calibre. We are hoping to build this team for CHAN, CECAFA, and AFCON,” he added.

Nigeria coach Aliyu Zubair acknowledged Kenya’s strong display despite their earlier losses.

“We’re fine reaching the next level. Although the match wasn't what we anticipated, we're prepared for the quarterfinals,” said Zubair.

“It was a difficult game against Kenya, who were determined after losing their previous two matches. It was a good game overall,” he added.

Captain Kevin Wangaya thanked his teammates for their hardwork, which he credited for helping him earn the Man of the Match award.