Nigeria’s Future Eagles advanced to the Tier C Round of 16 at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, after defeating New Caledonia 7-0 on Wednesday.
The emphatic victory extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the competition to six matches and marked the team’s biggest win of the tournament so far.
Captain Timothy Ijach led the scoring with a hat-trick, while Abdulrazak Muhammad scored twice. Wisdom Oche and Mayowa Salu also found the net as the Nigerian youngsters produced a dominant attacking performance.
Oche opened the scoring just 60 seconds into the encounter before Ijach struck twice in the 12th and 16th minutes to give Nigeria a commanding 3-0 lead.
Muhammad added the fourth goal in the 21st minute, with Ijach completing his hat-trick in the 35th minute.
Muhammad then scored his second goal four minutes later, while Salu rounded off the scoring in the 40th minute to seal the seven-goal victory.
The result secured Nigeria a place in the last 16 of the Tier C bracket, where the team was scheduled to face the winner of the encounter between the Republic of Benin and Cuba.
The Future Eagles entered the knockout stage after finishing third in Group AD with seven points from five matches. The team recorded one win and four draws during the group phase, scoring 11 goals and conceding 10.
The convincing victory over New Caledonia represents an improvement in Nigeria’s attacking output as the team continues its campaign in the competition.
The tournament uses a tier-based format, allowing teams that do not finish in the top two tiers during the initial phase to continue competing for honours within their respective brackets.
The Future Eagles will now look to carry their scoring form into the knockout rounds as they pursue the Tier C title.
The tier finals are scheduled for Friday, October 30.
Nigeria’s next fixture will provide another test of the team’s ability to maintain its attacking momentum and convert its opportunities against stronger opposition.
