Nigeria's Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Ebenezer Harcourt, has expressed unwavering confidence that South Africa will not prevent the team from reaching the final of the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The seven-time champions are set to face South Africa's Amajita in the semi-final scheduled for Thursday at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt.

This upcoming match marks the fourth encounter between both nations at the U-20 AFCON finals, with each team having secured one victory while one match ended in a draw.

"We were talking about the ticket to the World Cup before the start of the competition, now we have that," the Sporting Lagos goalkeeper told the team's media officer, Shariff Abdallah. "Now, the main target is the trophy. I'm very sure we will win the trophy."

Harcourt acknowledged the quality of their opponents but remained optimistic about Nigeria's chances. "We will prepare well for the game against South Africa. It's a good team we have here, the South Africans too are good, but we will do our best to win the game," he added.

The Flying Eagles have already achieved one of their primary objectives by securing qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Their focus has now shifted to claiming the continental trophy.

The winner of Thursday's semi-final will face either Morocco or another qualified team in the final of the tournament.

Nigeria's U-20 team, under the guidance of coach Zubairu, recently received a boost with reports indicating that key players have recovered from injuries ahead of the crucial encounter.